Multiprocessor Systems-on-Chips

16.1. Introduction

The ability to integrate an exponentially increasing number of transistors within a chip, the ever expanding use of electronic embedded systems to control more and more aspects of the “real world,” and the trend to interconnect more and more such systems (often from different manufacturers) into a global network are all creating a nightmarish scenario for embedded system designers. Complexity and scope are exploding into three inter-related but independently growing directions at the same time that teams are shrinking in size to reduce costs. This problem can only be tackled by a revolutionary approach to system design, which dramatically raises the level of abstraction, while keeping close control of cost, performance, and ...