Application of ESL Synthesis on GSM Edge algorithm for base station

Electronic System Level (ESL) design methodology has been widely adopted in SoC designing, especially for designs with multiple cores. High level synthesis is now becoming a standard tool in the ESL design flow. People use the term ESL Synthesis to suggest the solution for multicore system synthesis. In this paper we argue that ESL Synthesis is architecture synthesis, high level synthesis and software synthesis combined. A multicore architecture synthesis algorithm had been implemented and proven in an experimental industry use. We successfully synthesized the target application, a GSM Edge algorithm for base station, into single and multicore systems. With this experience we developed the theory how high level synthesis and software synthesis should work with architecture synthesis to perform the task of ESL synthesis. Possible future research directions inspired by this work are also proposed. Key contributions of this work are (1) a user-defined cost function mechanism, (2) a warranted convergence mechanism and (3) combine above two mechanisms to waive the need for a universal cost function.