Grammar-based design of embedded systems

Grammars define syntax of languages and as such have not been commonly considered as methods for design, despite well-known applications in computer science. Only in recent years grammar-based design has become a promising research field and the first commercial tools have appeared on the market. This paper reviews the basic concepts of applying grammars to electronic design - in particular to the device driver synthesis of communication protocols for embedded software, to the design of custom-hardware, and to the virtual prototyping of DSP systems. The paper shows the power of these methods, presents the latest research results and discusses future developments in this field. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.