Specify-Explore-Refine (SER): From specification to implementation

Abstract

Driven by increasing complexity and reliability demands, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2004 commissioned development of ELEGANT, a complete SpecC-based environment for electronic system-level (ESL) design of space and satellite electronics. As integral part of ELEGANT, the Center for Embedded Computer System (CECS) has developed and supplied the SER tool set. Following a Specify-Explore-Refine methodology, SER supports system-level design space exploration, interactive platform development and automatic model refinement and model generation. The SER engine has been successfully integrated into ELEGANT. With SER at its core, ELEGANT provides a seamless tool chain for modeling verification and synthesis from top-level specification down to embedded HW/SW implementation. ELEGANT and SER have been successfully delivered to JAXA and its suppliers. Tools are currently being deployed in companies like NEC Toshiba Space Systems. Evaluation results prove the feasibility of the approach for design space exploration, rapid virtual prototyping and system synthesis resulting in tremendous productivity and reliability gains. In addition, ELEGANT has been commercialized for general market availability. The SER component has been licensed to InterDesign Technologies, Inc. (IDT) and it is available from, sold and supported by IDT.