NADA Project Summary
The project is performing research on new,
mathematically sound methods for the description
and design of hardware systems. We interpret the
term ``hardware systems'' very generally to
include architectures and circuits and also the
hardware/software interface.
A major goal is a draft definition of a next generation
hardware description language (NGHDL) with a high level
of abstraction and a clean and formally defined
semantics. Description aspects include general
questions of timing, parameterisation and
modularisation. The design techniques include
verification, deductive design in the small and
structured design in the large, based on
mathematical models and the proposed language.
The goal of the research on modelling is to elicit
requirements on design methodologies and
description languages. It will study
architectures, circuits, and emerging new
paradigms for hardware systems, as well as various
standard technologies, and lead to unified
mathematical models of hardware.
To support the above aims the project will develop
a mathematical foundation for hardware design based on
algebra and logic. Appropriate mathematical
methods will come from computation theory, higher
order algebra, proof theory and timed process
algebra.
The developed techniques will be demonstrated by
representative case studies. The industrial affiliate
will provide material for realistic case studies
and constantly assess the adequacy of the hardware
models, the description language and the design
techniques.
Updated by Bernhard Möller
Thu May 18 11:09 MET 1995