Multi-language system design

The design of large systems, like a mobile telecommunication terminal or the electronic parts of an airplane or a car, may require the participation of several groups belonging to different companies and using different design methods, languages and tools. The concept of multi-language specification aims at coordinating different cultures through the unification of the languages, formalism and notations. This hot topic discusses the main issues and approaches to multi-language design. Two research directions are currently being explored by the EDA community. The first is based on the computation models underlying the languages while the second deals with the specification languages themselves.