Hardware/Software Codesign of Processors: Concepts and Examples

Today, many VLSI designs are processors at the core. Microprocessors are one obvious example; however, other examples abound. Many special-purpose, embedded controllers consist of a microprocessor, at least at the core. Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) are special-purpose processors. Special-purpose engines for functions such as graphics and video or audio processing are essentially processors, some using microcode implemented in a ROM or PLA and others using code stored in a RAM. The key aspect of all these designs is that they require the development of both hardware and software to make a successful machine.