InCo: An interactive codesign framework for real-time embedded systems

As semiconductor geometrics shrink below 0.2 microns we enter the superintegration era. The implementation of a complete embedded application on a single chip, often called a system chip, is then a viable alternative with considerable gains in functionality, savings in component costs and improvements in product manufacturability. New approaches, methods and tools are required to develop such complex systems, however. Techniques such as intellectual property (IP) block-based system design have been proposed to alleviate the design productivity gap that prevails with respect to the available silicon capacity. Codesign is an essential part of such system design paradigms. This document introduces first the most prominent codesign approaches presented by the design community and then describes the Interactive Codesign (InCo) framework that encapsulates the related work being carried out at VTT Electronics.