High-level synthesis of digital integrated circuits in the nanoscale mobile electronics era

Abstract

Digital integrated circuits (ICs) are the main workhorse of all modern consumer electronic systems. Digital ICs are much more complex and more closely follow the technology scaling as compared to the analog or mixed-signal ICs. For example, the transistor count can be in billions the device sizes at this point can be 14 nm FinFET in the digital ICs. However, the good news for digital ICs is that the digital designs have well-defined abstractions including system, architecture, logic. This Chapter is focused at the architecture level of the digital ICs. In particular, detailed discussions of high-level synthesis technique has been presented that can generate digital ICs. Trust of electronic systems that are used in day-to-day life is critical. This Chapter also discusses the HLS technique that can generate trusted digital ICs. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016.