kelem@AEROSPACE.AERO.ORG (10/07/87)
With the recent discussion of silicon compilers, I'll through in my thoughts
too. My Ph.D. thesis "Synthesis of Custom Integrated Circuits From a
High-Level Behavioral Description" from the UCLA Computer Science Department,
advisor Milos Ercegovac, is now finished.
This dissertation describes an innovative method
for synthesizing error-free prototype integrated circuit masks
from a behavioral-level algorithmic specification.
The designer expresses algorithms and data types
without having to specify a layout for their implementation
or having to rely on time-consuming methods to obtain an implementation.
The layout of the designed circuit is not explicitly specified by the designer,
and it is determined from the algorithmic description.
The circuits are produced quickly,
but not necessarily as compactly as can be done with exhaustive, time-consuming,automatic or manual techniques.
The circuits produced are properly formed
(i.e. obey the fabrication design rules)
so non-behavioral attributes such as area, speed, and power can be estimated
directly from these designs.
When the data types in a design are changed,
different operators corresponding to the new types are utilized and
the non-behavioral attributes of the resulting circuit change.
Comparisons of these attributes are the basis
for choosing one design over others.
This method of designing digital circuits is intended to
meet the needs of a specialized set of problems, namely the
design of special-purpose computing circuits.
Such circuits typically are non-standard designs
which require many iterations in the design process
to obtain a cost-effective design.
Therefore a rapid-prototyping design method,
mapping algorithms given at a high level into circuit structures
is highly desirable.
This work is motivated by these needs
and attempts to provide such a design tool.
\end{abstract}
Copies of the thesis are now available (order number 87-20011) from
University Microfilms International
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106