System Factorization in Codesign: A Case Study of the Use of Formal Techniques to Achieve Hardware-Software Decomposition

A major element of codesign is the task of decomposing a design in order to target some of its components to hardware and some to software while maintaining the integrity of the execution model. We illustrate how a previously developed algebraic technique we call system factorization adapts to this notion of decomposition. As an example, we describe how the mechanization of system factorization was used in the formal derivation of an implementation of Hunt's FM9001 microprocessor description using the DDD design derivation system. This case study demonstrates the bene ts to system-level design in combining an executable modeling language, its associated formal-reasoning systems, hardware synthesis tools, and a hardware development platform in an integrated prototyping environment.