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Automated Generation of System-Specific Processors
Abstract
Processors have long played a role in embedded systems design,
but fundamental changes in the economics, technology and
complexity of systems are making processors even more central.
New engines for protocol, signal and image processing in
communciation and consumer applications must support
new data-types and algorithms and yet must be radically
smaller and more power efficient than previous 32b
processor solutions. Tensilica has designed the XtensaTM
processor generator to allow chip architects to quickly
discover and describe the key instruction, memory, and
interface functions required by their applications. The
generator produces a complete hardware design, verification
and software development environment for that custom processor
less than one hour. The resulting designs consistently
execute applications faster, dissipate less power and use
less code than previous processors. Automatic processor
generation significantly improves application efficiency,
eases process portability and simplifies integration into
a "system-on-a-chip" design. This talk with discuss the
processor generator tool and results for several application
examples implemented in commodity ASIC CMOS technology.
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