jukka@stek9.oulu.fi (Jukka A. Lahti) (01/31/91)
Here's a new version of my list of synthesis systems, which I've updated with the information I've received during the last few months. The systems are listed in alphabetical order, though grouping them according to the level of synthesis (behavioral, RTL, FSM, logic etc) might have been more useful. I'd like to thank the following people for helping me in putting together this list: Michel Berkelaar (michel@ele.tue.nl) Eindhoven University of Technology Noritake Yonezawa (yonezawa@cs.uiuc.edu) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Donald A Lobo (lobo@guardian.cs.psu.edu) Greg Ward (gregw@bnr.ca) Bell-Northern Research Peter Duzy Siemens AG, Munchen A special thanks goes to Prof. Robert Walker (walkerb@turing.cs.rpi.edu) of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for sending me his excellent report on high-level synthesis systems (Robert A. Walker: "A Survey of High-Level Synthesis Systems (Second Edition)", RPI/Dept. of Computer Science, Report No. 90-30, October 1990). If you have any corrections or information you'd like to share, please drop me a message, and I'll post an update, if there is interest. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ADPS - Case Western Reserve University, USA - scheduling and data path allocation - Papachristou, C.A. et al.: "A Linear Program Driven Scheduling and Allocation Method Followed by an Interconnect Optimization Algorithm", Proc. of the 27th DAC, pp. 77-83, June 1990. ALPS/LYRA/ARYL - Tsing Hua University - scheduling and data path allocation - Lee, J-H: et al.: "A New Integer Linear Programming Formulation of the Scheduling Problem in Data Path Synthesis", Proc. of ICCAD89, pp. 20-23, November 1989. BDSYN - University of California, Berkeley, USA - FSM synthesis from DECSIM language for multilevel combination-logic realization - Brayton, R.: "Multiple-level Logic Optimization System", Proc. of IEEE ICCAD, Santa Clara, Nov. 1986 BECOME - AT & T Bell Labs, USA - FSM synthesis from C-like language for PLA, PLD and standard cell realization - Wei, R-S.: "BECOME: Behavior Level Circuit Synthesis Based on Structure Mapping", Proc. of 25th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 409-414, IEEE, 1988 BOLD - logic optimization - Bartlett, K. "Synthesis and Optimization of Multilevel Logic Under Timing Constraints", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, Vol 5, No 10, October 1986 BRIDGE - AT & T Bell Labs, USA - High-level synthesis FDL2-language descriptions - Tseng: "Bridge: A Versatile Behavioral Synthesis System", Proc. of 25th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 415-420, IEEE, 1988 CADDY - Karlsruhe University, Germany - behavioral synthesis from DSL-language, based on data-flow analysis - Camposano, R.: "Synthesing Circuits From Behavioral Descriptions", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, Vol. 8, No. 2, February 1989 CALLAS - Siemens, Germany - highlevel, algortihmic and logic synthesis (contains CADDY, see above) - Koster, M. et al.: "ASIC Design Using the High-Level Synthesis System CALLAS: A Case Study", Proc. IEEE International Conference on Computer Design (ICCD '90), pp. 141-146, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sept. 17-19, 1990 CAMAD - Linkoping University, Sweden - scheduling, data path allocation and iteration from a Pascal subset - Peng, Z.: "CAMAD: A Unified Data Path/ Control Synthesis Environment", Proc. of the IFIP Working Conference on Design Methodologies for VLSI and Computer Architecture, pp. 53-67, Sept. 1988. CARLOS - Karlsruhe University, Germany - multilevel logic optimization for CMOS realizations - Mathony, H-J.: "CARLOS: An Automated Multilevel Logic Design System for CMOS Semi-Custom Integrated Circuits", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, Vol 7, No 3, pp. 346-355, March 1988 CATHEDRAL - Univ. of Leuve, Phillips and Siemens, Belgium - synthesis of DSP-circuits from algorithm descriptions - De Man, H.: "Architecture-Driven Synthesis Techiques for VLSI Implementation of DSP Algorithms", Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 78, NO. 2, pp. 319, February 1990 CATREE - Univ. of Waterloo, Canada - scheduling and data path allocation - Gebotys, C.H.: "VLSI Design Synthesis with Testability", Proc. of the 25th DAC, pp. 16-21, June 1988 CHARM - AT & T Bell Labs., USA - data-path synthesis - Woo, N-S.: "A Global, Dynamic Register Allocation and Binding for a Data Path Synthesis System", Proc. of the 27th DAC, pp. 505-510, June 1990. CMU-DA (2) - Carnagie-Mellon University, USA - behavioral synthesis from ISPS - Thomas, D.: "Linking the Behavioral and Structural Domains of Representation for Digital System Design", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, pp. 103-110, Vol. 6, No. 1, January 1987 CONES - AT & T Bell Labs, USA - FSM synthesis, produces 2-level logic realizations (truth-table) - Stroud, C.E.: "CONES: A System for Automated Synthesis of VLSI and programmable logic from behavioral models", Proc. of IEEE ICCAD, Santa Clara, Nov. 1986. DAGAR - University of Texas, Austin, USA. - scheduling and data-path allocation - Raj. V.K.: "DAGAR: An Automatic Pipelined Microarchitecture Synthesis System", Proc. of ICCD '89, pp. 428-431, October 1989. DELHI - IIT - design iteration, scheduling and data path allocation - Balakrishnan, M. et al.: "Integrated Scheduling and Binding: A Synthesis Approach for Design Space Exploration", Proc. of the 26th DAC, pp. 68-74, June 1989 DESIGN AUTOMATION ASSISTANT (DAA) - AT & T Bell Labs, USA - expert system for data path synthesis - Kowalski, T.J. "The VLSI Desig Automation Assistant: An Architecture Compiler", Silicon Compilation, pp. 122-152, Addison-Wesley, 1988 ELF - Carleton University, Canada - scheduling and data path allocation - Girczyc, E.F. et al.: "Applicability of a Subset of Ada as an Algorithmic Hardware Description Language for Graph-Based Hardware Compilation", IEEE Trans. on CAD, pp. 134-142, April 1985. EUCLID - Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands - logic synthesis - Berkelaar, Michel R.C.M. and Theeuwen, J.F.M., "Real Area-Powe-Delay Trade-off in the EUCLID Logic Synthesis System" , proceedings of the Custom Integrated Circuits Conference 1990, Boston MA USA, pp 14.3.1 ff EXLOG - NEC Corporation, Japan - expert system, synthesizes gate level circuits from FDL descriptions - M. Watanabe, et al.,: "EXLOG: An Expert System for Logic Synthesis in Full-Custom VLSI Design", Proc. of 2nd Int. Conf. Application of Artificial Intelligence, August 1987. FACE/PISYN - General Electric, USA - FACE: high-level synthesis tools and a tool framework, PISYN: synthesis of pipelined architecture DSP systems (mostly) - Smith, W.D. et al.: "FACE Core Environment: The Model and it's Application in CAE/CAD Tool Development", Proc. of the 26th DAC, pp. 466-471, June 1989. FLAMEL - Stanford University, USA - data path and control-logic synthesis from Pascal description - Trickey, H. "Flamel: A High-Level Hardware Compiler", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, Vol 6, No 2, March 1987. HAL - Carleton University, Canada - data path synthesis - Paulin, P.: "Force-Directed Scheduling for the Behavioral Synthesis of ASIC's", IEEE Transaction on Computer-Aided Design, pp. 661, Vol. 8, No. 6, June 1989. HARP - NTT, Japan - scheduling and data path-allocation from FORTRAN - Tanaka, T. et al.: "HARP: Fortran to Silicon", IEEE Trans. on CAD, pp. 649-660, June 1989. HYPER - UCB, USA - synthesis for realtime applications (scheduling, allocation, module binding, controller design) - Chu, C-M. et al.: "HYPER: An Interactive Synthesis Environment for Real Time Applications", Proc. of ICCD '89, pp. 432-435, October 1989 IMBSL/RLEXT - Univ. of Illinois, USA - data-path allocation, RTL-level design - Knapp D.W.: "Manual Rescheduling and Incremental Repair of Register Level Data Paths", Proc. of ICCAD '89, pp.58-61, November 1989. LSS (Logic Synthesis System) - IBM, USA - logic synthesis and optimization from many RTL-languages - Darringer, J. et al. "LSS: A System for Production Logic Synthesis", IBM Journal of Research and Developement, vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 272-280, Sept 1984. MAHA - University of Southern California, USA - data path synthesis - Parker, A.C. "MAHA: A Program for Data Path Synthesis", Proc. 23rd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 252-258, IEEE 1986. MIMOLA - University of Kiel, Germany - scheduling, data-path allocation and controller design - Matwedel, P: "Matching System And Component Behavior in MIMOLA Synthesis Tools", Proc. of EDAC '90, pp. 146-156, March 1990. MIS (II/MV) - University of California, Berkeley, USA - multilevel/multivalued logic optimization - Brayton, R.K. "MIS: A Multiple-Level Logic Optimatization System", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, Vol. 6, No. 6, November 1987. pp. 1062-1081 OLYMPUS/HERCULES - Stanford University, USA - behavioral synthesis from C-language (HERCULES), logic and physical synthesis - De Micheli, G.: "HERCULES - A System for High-Level Synthesis", Proceedings of the 25th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 483-488, IEEE 1988 SEHWA - University of Southern California, USA - pipeline-realizations from behavioral descriptions - Park, N. "SEWHA: A Program for Synthesis of Pipelines", Proc. 23rd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 454-460, IEEE 1986. SIEMENS' SYNTHESIS SYSTEM - Siemens, Germany - partitioning, data path allocation and scheduling - Scheichenzuber, J. et al.: "Global Hardware Synthesis from Behavioral Dataflow Descriptions", Proc. of the 27th DAC, pp. 456-461, June 1990. SOCRATES - General Electric, University of Colorado, USA - expert system - logic optimization and mapping for different technologies - de Geus, A.J., "The Socrates Logic Synthesis and Optimization System", Design Systems for VLSI Circuits, pp. 473-498, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987. SPAID - Universty of Waterloo, Canada - DSP-synthesis for silicon compiler realizations - Haroun, B.: "Architectural Synthesis for DSP Silicon Compilers", IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, pp. 431-447, Vol. 8, No 4, April 1989. SYNFUL - Bell-Northern Research, Canada - RTL and FSM synthesis for a production environment - G. Ward, "Logic Synthesis at BNR: A SYNFUL Story", Proceedings Canadian Conference on Very Large Scale Integration, October 1990. SYSTEM ARCHITECT'S WORKBENCH - Carnagie-Mellon University, USA - behavioral synthesis - Thomas, D. "The System Architect's Workbench", Proceedings of the 25th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, pp. 337-343, IEEE 1988 UCB'S SYNTHESIS SYSTEM - UCB, USA - transformations, scheduling and data path allocation - Devadas, S.: "Algorithms for Hardware Allocation in Data Path Synthesis", IEEE Trans. on CAD, pp. 768-781, July 89 SPLICER - University of Illinois, USA - scheduling and data-path allocation - Pangrle, B.M.: "Splicer: A Heuristic Approach to Connectivity Binding", Proc. of the 25th DAC, pp. 536-541, June 1988. V COMPILER - IBM, USA - scheduling and data path allocation from V-language - Berstis, V: "The V Compiler: Automatic Hardware Design", IEEE Design and Test, pp. 8-17, April 1989. VSS - Univ. of California at Irvine, USA - transformations, scheduling and data path allocation from VHDL to MILO - Lis, J. et al.: "Synthesis from VHDL", Proc. ICCD'88, pp. 378-381, October 1988. YORKTOWN SILICON COMPILER - IBM T.J.Watson Research Centre, USA - data path synthesis, logic synthesis etc. - Brayton, R.K., et al. "The Yorktown Silicon Compiler", Silicon Compilation, pp. 204-311, Addison-Wesley, 1988 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jukka Lahti (jukka@steks.oulu.fi) Phone: +358-81-352756 University of Oulu, Electronics Lab. Telefax: +358-81-561278 SF-90570 Oulu, FINLAND