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Re: [f-cpu] "Tree"



On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, Ben Franchuk wrote:
> What I  think what the F-cpu needs now is the documentation revised
> and a software emulator written for the ISA. Until you write software
> you really don't know if your architecture is sound. For my own small
> CPU's I like developing between the ISA and the RTL levels. I developed
> a nice 9 bit CPU on the ISA level only to discover at the software level
> the design sucked and at the RTL level it used more FPGA logic cells
> than my other 12 bit CPU's.
> -- 
> Ben Franchuk - Dawn * 12/24 bit cpu *

Hi Ben,

since two years my brain is thinking back and forth how one
can integrate the design process of software together with
the design of the hardware to begin to build 'real' systems.

SystemC does not really bring a solution to the problem
because one is still on a hardware type programming style.
And hardware type programming in software sucks.

There seems to be a need for a more high sophisticated
description language that is a superset of hardware and
software implementation but without forcing the style to
either of them. I would call this a 'system definition
language'. This language must also contain some means
to simulate the system on its highest level.

If you look at hardware development, there is e.g. VHDL
high level description and the netlist/gate level. I am
looking for that level above VHDL that can be generated
into hardware (e.g. VHDL) and software (e.g. C, C++).

Only with that independent level you are really free to
move the border between hardware and software during the
development process to achieve a maximum performance of
the system in design.

JG

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