Web-based CAD framework for low cost SoC design prototyping

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a framework that allows an efficient way of designing and verifying an SoC. In particular, the proposed SoC design framework, which is based on the OpenRISC platform, utilizes the web environment to reduce the tooling costs while providing similar design times for a small work group. Expensive processing tasks, such as RTL level simulations and cross-compilations, are performed on the remote central server. The server also allows a user to share his or her IP libraries with different clients with user controllable library access permissions. The client is a 15MB program that performs and interfaces to all other tasks required for the SoC design. We demonstrate that the proposed server-client interface performs almost seamlessly.