Beyond tool-specific machine descriptions

When developing software for embedded systems, the set of essential tools includes a compiler and an instruction set simulator. Since software and hardware are often designed in parallel, the tools must be easily adaptable to the changing target architecture. For the compiler, its back-end (the code generator) must be retargetable. Abstraction from the target machine is the key to an automated approach. Additionally , abstraction from tool-internal strategies permits the utilization of a uniied machine description for all tools. In this chapter, the machine description formalism nML is presented along with the retargetable code generator Cbc and the instruction set simulation environment Sigh/Sim.