Abstract
Traditionally, it is assumed that every variable in the input HDL (Hardware Description Language) behavioral description needs to be held in a register; A register can be shared by multiple variables if they have mutually disjoint lifetime intervals. This approach is effective for signal-flow-like computations such as various DSP algorithms. However, it is not the best for the synthesis of control-dominated circuits, which usually have variables/signals of different bit-width as well as very long lifetime. To go beyond register minimization by lifetime-analysis-based sharing, we propose holding some variables in the state registers, some signal nets, or some unclocked sequential networks. We have implemented the proposed method in a software program called VReg. Experimental results have demonstrated that VReg minimizes the number of registers more effectively than the lifetime-analysis-based approach does. Better register minimization also leads to both smaller area and faster designs.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 164-169 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings - Design Automation Conference |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1995 Jan 1 |
Event | Proceedings of the 32nd Design Automation Conference - San Francisco, CA, USA Duration: 1995 Jun 12 → 1995 Jun 16 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Hardware and Architecture
- Control and Systems Engineering