Modular scheduling constraint specification

An improved method of describing scheduling constraints for high-level synthesis is presented. Traditional methods require the designer to manually embed the external constraints from all outside devices into the description of the system being designed. In this method, the behavior finite-state machine model-a finite-state machine model extended to model scheduling-is used to create interface descriptions as separate models. Interface constraint modules can be designed once and placed in libraries, reducing work and the chance of error in the interface specification, and reducing design errors