Modular SoC integration with subsystems The audio subsystem case

We explore the potential of subsystem-based design to reduce cost and time-to-market in the design of advanced Systems-on-Chips (SoCs) while retaining low-power and high performance processing. Using a concrete audio subsystem as an example, we illustrate the benefits of modular SoC integration with subsystems and identify challenges to be addressed. Well-designed subsystems pre-integrate hardware and software modules to implement complete system functions and offer high-level hardware and software interfaces for easy SoC integration. Configurability of subsystems enables reuse across SoCs. Subsystems can offer software plug-ins to support integration into a software stack on a host processor while making core crossings transparent for the application programmer. We conclude that subsystems can indeed be the next reuse paradigm for efficient SoC integration.