Generic component library characterization for high level synthesis

Describes a novel generator-generator environment for characterizing generic component libraries used in high level hardware synthesis. The environment is composed of LEGEND, a language used to specify generic libraries, and GENUS, the generated generic component library. GENUS provides generic component instances for the task of behavior-to-structure mapping in high level synthesis. The LEGEND/GENUS environment complements a language such as VHDL by providing component library generator-generators with behavioral models for simulation and subsequent synthesis. The LEGEND language has a simple and extensible syntax which allows users to add and modify component generators easily. Generic components in GENUS have realistic register transfer semantics, including clocking, asynchrony and data bi-directionality. The LEGEND/GENUS environment is implemented on SUN workstations in C/Unix and is used by a suite of behavioral and logic synthesis tools at U.C. Irvine