SOC Design Methodologies

Abstract

SoC design incorporates the complete panoply of complex IC and embedded software design issues, including their relationships to other design tasks such as chip packaging and printed circuit board design. How one sets up one’s design methodology becomes one of the most critical factors for success. This chapter presents an overview of the breadth and scope of the design steps required for the design of an SoC. It begins with a discussion of platform based design as one of the overarching approaches to “winning” with SoCs. It then describes the basic steps- system design, embedded software design, functional verification, hardware IC design, and analog/mixed-signal in SoCs. This is followed by a discussion of some of the often forgotten other components- the infrastructure required, the interfaces between the design teams, and the “meta methods” or design management related tasks. This chapter also sets the stage for the remainder of the book often referring to later chapters for “real” design experiences and more detailed discussions.