Software-hardware co-design

Question 1

Why is software hardware co-design importent?

Answer 1

To deliver high-performance computational demands as Moore’s Law scaling slows down, we need both software and hardware to be specialised to each other.

Question 2

What was the impact of AI and ML on software-hardware co-design?

Answer 2

AI and ML have some particularities such as working based on tensors with specialised hardware necessary to meet these requirements

Question 3

What are the three types of design?

Answer 3

1. Top-Down
2. Bottom Up
3. Hardware-software codesign

Question 4

What is Top-Down design?

Answer 4

The software workloads drive the design of new hardware architectures

Question 5

What is Bottom-up design?

Answer 5

Hardware is design first focusing on a general concept of how it will be used, then a specialised software is designed for that hardware.

Question 6

What is hardware-software codesign?

Answer 6

Design the hardware and the software as a coupled process

Question 7

What is the iterative approach?

Answer 7

Neither approach is better than the other. Demand creates the necessity for more specialised software which will derive the development of new architectures and more specialised software

Question 8

What is partitioning?

Answer 8

Allocating functions between hardware and software

Question 9

What is High Level Synthesis?

Answer 9

An Automated design process based on a high level specification of the behaviour of that system

Question 10

What is platform-based design?

Answer 10

This approach uses a predefined platform (a set of hardware and software components) as a starting point, which can significantly reduce design time and complexity

Question 11

What are the advantages of software-hardware codesign?

Answer 11

1. Design space exploration: Can explore a wide range of options and trade-offs
2. Optimisation: Enables optimisation at various levels