Design and Simulation of High Performance Parallel Architectures Using the ISAC Language

Abstract

Most of modern embedded systems for multimedia and network applications are based on parallel data stream processing. The data processing can be done using very long instruction word processors (VLIW), or using more than one high performance application-specific instruction set processor (ASIPs), or even by their combination on single chip. Design and testing of these complex systems is time-consuming and iterative process. Architecture description languages (ADLs) are one of the most effective solutions for single processor design. However, support for description of parallel architectures and multi-processor systems is very low or completely missing in nowadays ADLs. This article presents utilization of new extensions for existing architecture description language ISAC. These extensions are used for easy and fast prototyping and testing of parallel based systems and processors.