A process infrastructure for architecture analysis and embedded processor development to support a technology insertion process

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology is being advocated by many as a way to reduce costs in all aspects of systems from initial development to production and field support. Embedded processors in systems, such as those found in military platforms, are examples where the use of COTS technology offers potentially large cost savings. Another important aspect of system cost is the length of time for development. A structured methodology supported by an integrated design environment has been shown to reduce the development time necessary, thus reducing the system development cost. In this paper, an integrated design environment to support architecture analysis and development of embedded processors is described. This integrated design environment is being evaluated and brought online as part of the US Army CECOM Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate process for embedded processor architecture analysis and development.