An integrated system for developing regular array designs

This paper describes an integrated system for developing regular array designs based on the block description language Ruby. Ruby supports concise design description and formal verification. A parametrised Ruby description can be used in simulating, refining and visualising designs, and in compiling hardware implementations such as field programmable gate arrays. Our system enables rapid design production, while good design quality is achieved by (a) the efficient instantiation of device-specific libraries, (b) the size optimisation of bit-level components using the design refiner, and (c) the exploitation of regularity information at source level in the library composition process. The development and implementation of several median filters are used to illustrate the system.