The concurrent design of hardware and software which is implemented in a preferred function is called a software and hardware co design. Successful co design fits really well into the preferred function. Today it has become a compulsion to blend the software and hardware design, as the conventional methodologies are not that effective today. All the items which contain a chip memory and a set of executable instructions or programs in order to monitor its functioning are known as hardware and software co design.
Focus of co Design
The emphasizes of co design is on the area of system specification, hardware software portioning, architectural design, and the iteration In between the software and hardware as the design proceeds to next stage. This task is completed by the hardware and software integration. The new and old integrated circuits are finding their place in the new designs in the form of entrenched cores in a mixed fashion. Hardware and software co design makes it possible to make handy devices which can be carried by individuals however for these systems one does not have to stay in touch with the computer in order to run software applications. The most common example of hardware and software co design is embedded systems. The objective of the co design is to combine CPU memory and programs to control physical operations.
Embedded Systems
A computer system which has been specifically designed to perform different functions, however which faces real time computing restriction is known as embedded systems. Embedded systems can be controlled by digital signal processing and micro controllers. When ever you see software guiding the hardware it is an example of embedded system. Software and hardware co design is a broader horizon which incorporates all the embedded systems. There are today unlimited examples of the embedded systems like modern Robot Guitar for tuning the strings. Embedded systems deal with the complex GUI, which is more like the desktop computers. It is the rise of embedded systems that we are able to use touch screen devices. The key of embedded systems is that any hardware on which specific purpose software is fixed or stamped is an embedded system. Embedded systems have many distinct features like they consume less electricity. On the contrary the proceeding speed of these systems is also low and the capability to store data is also low.
Examples of Hardware Co Systems
The applications of the hardware software co design have many applications ranging from the everyday items to the special purpose machines. The common purpose examples include television, automobiles, GPS, microwaves, thermostats, network routers, game consoles and automobiles. Some special purpose examples include ATM machines, kiosks, aircraft, satellites, sensing, consumer electronics, smart phones, industrial automation, avionics, medical and IT hardware. The best example of co design technology is multi core processors, I Phone and PS- 3. Therefore the examples of the hardware and software co design include all the intelligent devices .these systems can be configured for personalized uses. Let us examine a simple example of a MP3 player. It has a large memory which is capable of storing unlimited songs. Songs are stored in digital compressed form. The CPU scampers the program in main memory. The audio present in the form of an audio and raw audio is generated in the form of digital signals. This information is then displayed on the screen with the help of software working in the memory. The hardware and software co design method is used for the implementation of the MP3 audio decoder which is helpful in real time specification of MP3 player. The recent development in this field can be seen in telecommunications.