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Enabling new applications for mobile devices often requires the use of specialized hardware to reduce power consumption. Because of time-to-market pressure, current design methodologies for embedded applications require an early partitioning of the design, allowing the hardware and software to be developed simultaneously, each adhering to a rigid interface contract. This approach is problematic for two reasons: (1) a detailed hardware-software interface is difficult to specify until one is deep into the design process, and (2) it prevents the later migration of functionality across the interface motivated by efficiency concerns or the addition of features. We address this problem using the Bluespec Codesign Language~(BCL) which permits the designer to specify the hardware-software partition in the source code, allowing the compiler to synthesize efficient software and hardware along with transactors for communication between the partitions. The movement of functionality across the hardware-software boundary is accomplished by simply specifying a new partitioning, and since the compiler automatically generates the desired interface specifications, it eliminates yet another error-prone design task. In this paper we present BCL, an extension of a commercially available hardware design language (Bluespec SystemVerilog), a new software compiling scheme, and preliminary results generated using our compiler for various hardware-software decompositions of an Ogg Vorbis audio decoder, and a ray-tracing application. ; National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF (#CCF-0541164)) ; National Research Foundation of Korea (grant from the Korean Government (MEST) (#R33-10095))

A structured and collaborative approach to design and decision‐making in the context of ecological restoration of rivers is developed and illustrated using a case study involving the mitigation of physical barriers to fish migration on the River Trent in the UK. The integrated design and decision-making framework provide a practical workflow model for structuring multi‐attribute decisions, engaging stakeholders, and assembling a design team needed to successfully plan environmental interventions. In our implementation team, members included ecologists, fisheries biologists, government scientists, and representatives of key stakeholder groups. The case study demonstrated a values‐based approach to implementing an ecological restoration plan that addresses some of the long‐standing barrier removal goals associated with the reintroduction of Atlantic salmon and European Union (EU) Habitats Directive listed species European lamprey and River eel. The integrated decision-driven, design framework approach is highlighted by trans-disciplinarily and social learning.