Synopsys intros Synphony high level synthesis

MOUNTAIN VIEW, USA: Synopsys Inc. today introduced its Synphony HLS (High Level Synthesis) solution that integrates M-language and model-based synthesis to deliver up to 10X higher design and verification productivity than traditional RTL flows for communications and multimedia applications.

Synphony HLS creates optimized RTL for ASIC and FPGA implementation, architecture exploration and rapid prototyping. In addition, Synphony HLS complements C/C++-based flows by generating C-models for system validation and early software development in virtual platforms.

Synphony HLS integrates with Synopsys' Design Compiler, Synplify Premier, Confirma, VCS, System Studio and Innovator products to deliver the most comprehensive prototyping, implementation and verification flows from algorithm to silicon.

The Synphony HLS solution delivers significantly higher productivity than traditional methods by providing benefits such as:

* An automated flow from M to optimized RTL.
* Synthesis of optimized RTL architectures for ASIC and FPGA.
* Rapid prototyping methodology for early algorithm validation.
* C-model generation for early software development and fast system validation.
* Unified verification across multiple flows including prototyping and ASIC implementation.

"The Synphony HLS solution will dramatically change how FPGAs and ASICs are used for system validation and embedded software development," said Richard Cagley, Ph.D., algorithm developer, Toyon Research Corp.

"Traditional HLS methodologies continue to incur significant hardware engineering resources to translate my algorithms to RTL for implementation into FPGA or ASIC silicon. Synphony HLS enables me to use MATLAB® for both high level simulation and production code, meaning that I can now go from simulation directly to hardware in a matter of hours or days instead of months or years. This has a vast impact on our productivity, schedules and quality of products based on our algorithms."

Automated flow from M-Language and high-level IP to optimized RTL
The Mathworks' MATLAB environment has been broadly adopted for algorithm exploration and design because it allows concise expression of behavior at an extremely high level of abstraction.

The M-language models developed in this environment are typically re-coded and re-verified at the RT Level (RTL) and in some cases in C/C++ for implementation and verification. Unlike inefficient and error-prone manual re-coding flows, Synphony HLS creates implementable RTL and C-models directly from high-level M-language code and the Synphony HLS-optimized IP model libraries.

Using a unique constraint-driven fixed-point propagation feature, designers can quickly and intuitively derive fixed-point models from a synthesizable subset of high-level, floating-point M-code. The Synphony HLS engine will then synthesize architecturally optimized RTL to meet area, speed and power goals.

Synphony HLS allows designers to stay in their preferred algorithm modeling language, eliminating the need to re-code and re-verify models and enabling early system-level validation and verification.

High level synthesis from a single model
The Synphony HLS engine can synthesize optimized architectures for ASIC, FPGA, rapid prototyping or virtual platforms while maintaining coherent verification through all levels of the implementation flow.

Given the user-specified target and architectural constraints, the HLS engine automatically optimizes at multiple levels by applying pipelining, scheduling and binding optimizations across language and model boundaries, including M-language, IP blocks and throughout the design hierarchy.

Synphony HLS for ASIC design
Synphony HLS includes a new advanced timing estimation capability that automatically utilizes Design Compiler for accurate information needed in automatic pipelining and rapid timing closure for a given ASIC technology.

Synphony HLS for FPGA design
Synphony HLS includes advanced timing and device-specific optimizations for a broad range of FPGA families from Actel, Altera, Lattice and Xilinx. This includes optimized mapping to hardware multipliers, memories, shift registers and other advanced hardware resources in today's FPGA devices.

Synphony HLS for rapid prototyping
With Synphony HLS and Synopsys' technology-leading Confirma rapid prototyping solutions, design teams can quickly create a pre-silicon prototype of their design and start high- performance algorithm validation and software development much earlier in the design cycle.

C-output for earlier software development and faster system validation
Synphony HLS complements C/C++ implementation, verification and embedded software development flows by making C-model creation a natural byproduct of the development flow.

Synphony HLS generates fixed-point ANSI-C models that can be used in a variety of system simulation environments and virtual platforms including Synopsys' Innovator, System Studio, VCS and SystemC flows. Thus Synphony HLS enables C-based verification and validation to start much earlier in the design cycle.

"Until now, there has not been an automated way to derive a coherent verification flow across abstraction levels nor an implementation flow with optimized output from the very popular M language," said Gary Meyers, vice president and general manager of the Synplicity Business Group at Synopsys.

"With Synphony HLS, we can provide a faster and more reliable path to system and software validation than competing solutions. Combined with Synopsys' technology-leading system prototyping and hardware-assisted verification solutions, design teams can more economically and more reliably design and verify their complex chips and software."

Packaging and availability
Synphony HLS includes M-synthesis technology, C-model generation, the Synphony HLS high level IP model library and the Synphony HLS engine for ASIC and FPGA. Synphony HLS is now in limited customer availability with general availability by the end of calendar year 2009.