Objective COBRA aims at developing techniques and tools for the codesign of hardware and software. Advances in VLSI and synthesis technology have made it feasible to construct powerful programmable components (microprocessors) as well as complex specialised components. Today, electronic products consist of a mixture of hardware and software components. Diversity and complexity of applications, the short time-to-market, and design costs, make it important to have design methods and tools, which integrate the hardware and software needed to construct such products.APPROACH AND METHODS Codesign requires models that allow analysis, verification, and experimentation before making a commitment as to what should be realised as software, and what should become hardware. The description of such a model is called a cospecification. In COBRA, cospecification is the starting point for partitioning the design into hardware and software parts. Both automatic and manual partitioning techniques are studied and refined. For the synthesis of the hardware part, state of the art high-level synthesis tools, starting with VHDL descriptions, are utilised. Similarly, the software parts of the specification are synthesised into executable code. This project concentrates on the following codesign techniques: - specification of requirements, interfaces, and functionality - hardware/software partitioning including appropriate target architectures - analysis and verification of the properties of a design, eg, functionality, timing, and power consumption - synthesis from high-level descriptions to hardware and software realisations. The partners in this project bring together the complementary skills and tools needed for an integrated approach to hardware and software design: Partitioning and synthesis (Karlsruhe/Tuebingen), VHDL experience (VTT), profiling (Braunschweig), specification (Madrid), verification (Lyngby). The role of Siemens providing guidance, benchmarks and performing evaluation is important for the future industrial utilisability of the results. POTENTIAL Codesign has applications in a wide variety of specialised electronic products, for example, embedded real-time controllers, image processing, communication including mobile phones, and robotics. The comparison of different methods and evaluation of the results are based on partner-specific applications. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwareengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarecomputer processorsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phonesengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics Programme(s) FP3-ESPRIT 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of information technologies, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Universität Fridericana Karlsruhe (Technische Hochschule) Address Haid-und-neu-straße 10-14 76131 Karlsruhe Germany See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Sand 13 72076 Tuebingen See on map Other funding No data Siemens AG Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Otto-hahn-ring 6 81739 München See on map Other funding No data TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Finland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Kaitvaeylae, 1200 SF-90571 Oulu See on map Other funding No data TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK Denmark EU contribution € 0,00 Address Lundtoftevvej - building, 348 2800 Lyngby See on map Other funding No data Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina Braunschweig Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Pockelsstraße 14 38106 Braunschweig See on map Other funding No data UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Ramino de maeztu, 7 28040 Madrid See on map Other funding No data
