Design of a MP3 Decoder using the System-On-Chip Environment (SCE)

Electronic system-level (ESL) design is touted as a promising solution to sustain productivity in embedded system design in the presence of increasing complexities and decreasing time-to-market. The System-On-Chip Environment (SCE) provides such a SpecC-based ESL design solution. In this report, we demonstrate SCE as applied to the design of a MP3 decoder. Starting from a reference C code, an initial specification model is developed and several different architectural alternatives are explored for implementation on an ARM-based target platform. Using SCE, models for all alternatives are generated and a final, optimal multi-processor system-on-chip (MPSoC) design is selected. Results of the SCE-based design process show the feasibility and benefits of the approach. Using SCE refinement and exploration tools, all models were generated within minutes. Including the time needed for model simulations, the overall exploration process was completed within an hour. Therefore, the design example demonstrates the capabilities of SCE for rapid, early design space exploration resulting in significant productivity gains.