Hardware/Software Co-Design of Complex Embedded Systems: An Approach Using Efficient Process Models, Multiple Formalism Specification and Validation via Co-Simulation

This paper presents a hardware/software co-design approachwhere different specification languages can be used in parallel, allowingeffective system co-modeling. The proposed methodology introduces a processmodel that extends the traditional spiral model so as to reflect the designneeds of modern embedded systems. The methodology is supported by an advancedtoolset that allows co-modeling and co-simulation using SDL, Statecharts andMATRIXX, and interactive hardware/software partitioning. The effectivenessof the proposed approach is exhibited through two applicati on examples: thedesign of a car window lift mechanism, and the design of a MAC layer protocolfor wireless ATM networks