xMAML: A Modeling Language for Dynamically Reconfigurable Architectures

Constant evolution of norms and applications, usually implemented on system-on-chip (SOC), increases architecture performance and flexibility requirements. Current architectures are consequently becoming more complex and difficult to develop. One of the solutions is to develop design frameworks based on high-level architecture description languages (ADL). These ADLs are useful for a rapid description of the hardware that should be implemented on an architecture. Designers can use ADL for the development of generic frontend tools. Our framework aims at designing dynamically reconfigurable architecture with the help of an ADL. This paper presents xMAML, an architecture description language dedicated to the instantiation of dynamically reconfigurable heterogeneous computing units. From this ADL, a synthesizable model is produced after exploration, simulation and validation phases. As proof of concept, exploration for a WCDMA receiver on two dynamically reconfigurable architectures is presented.