Subsystem Exchange in a Concurrent Design Process Environment

This paper provides insight into the novel solutions used to build SoCs targeting increased productivity in a complex environment. Design of such SoCs relies on multi-team, multi-site cooperation and data exchange. The data exchange, made possible though descriptions based on The SPIRIT Consortium´s IP-XACTtrade specification and the automation for its processing, forms the basis of the approach. Initially, the specification focused at IP reuse; this has now been extended to SoC subsystem exchange. This paper also describes state-of-the-art subsystem design automation and improvement opportunities, based on a close collaboration between NXP Semiconductors and Mentor Graphics. We do not cover all the aspects of reuse but mainly stress the concurrent engineering process.