A hands-on primer that bridges the gap between computer system design and system-on-chip architecture

As computer systems continue to evolve, the next generation of designers will need to focus less on processors and memories and more on the elements of a system tailored to particular applications. They must understand how to make system-level tradeoffs that optimize cost, performance, and other attributes in order to meet application requirements. To address these needs, this text presents a new, hardware-oriented approach to computer system design, particularly for System-on-Chip (SOC).

Written by leading researchers in computer engineering, the book provides the fundamentals necessary to develop SOC solutions as well as analytical techniques that are relevant to a wide range of architectures and applications. Taking a high-level systems-centric view, it addresses issues that define the design space and describes in detail the three basic elements of SOC--processor, memory, and interconnect.

To broaden SOC applicability while reducing cost, one can adopt a common hardware platform that can be customized to improve efficiency for specific applications. This book covers different customization technologies for SOC, particularly those based on configurability; it also reveals when customizing is not advisable. Various applications that illustrate the opportunities and system-level trade-offs in SOC design are described, along with explanations of how some of the techniques described in earlier chapters can be applied. Finally, future challenges for system design and SOC possibilities are explored, including autonomous system on a chip and self-optimization and self-verification before and after design deployment.

Complete with problem sets at the end of each chapter as well as a companion website, Computer System Design: System-on-Chip is written for graduate students in computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering, as well as for system design professionals, SOC engineers, and computer scientists.

The next generation of computer system designers will be less concerned about details of processors and memories, and more concerned about the elements of a system tailored to particular applications. These designers will have a fundamental knowledge of processors and other elements in the system, but the success of their design will depend on the skills in making system-level tradeoffs that optimize the cost, performance and other attributes to meet application requirements. This book provides a new treatment of computer system design, particularly for System-on-Chip (SOC), which addresses the issues mentioned above. It begins with a global introduction, from the high-level view to the lowest common denominator (the chip itself), then moves on to the three main building blocks of an SOC (processor, memory, and interconnect). Next is an overview of what makes SOC unique (its customization ability and the applications that drive it). The final chapter presents future challenges for system design and SOC possibilities.