Software/hardware co-design of a Java-based 32bit microprocessor for mobile multimedia applications

A 32bit Java-based processor is designed for mobile multimedia applications to run MIPS-compatible local instructions and some application-specific Java bytecodes in a RISC-like architecture. In Java-mode, some Java bytecodes employed in the specific application are decoded into local instructions by VLSI implementation. With VHDL simulation tools, SW/HW co-design verified that Java bytecodes could be executed on the processor with a local thread for a real-time visual processing. Furthermore, the design was synthesized to physical layout according to 1.2 /spl mu/m standard CMOS technology and the simulation shows that the processor can run at a frequency of 20 MHz.