ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces video applications and some system-on-chip (SoC) architectures that may be the targets of system-level design tools. It aims to study models of computation and languages for system-level modeling. Several groups have developed abstract models for system-level design methodologies. These models helps to compare concrete design methodologies. One of the primary uses of SoCs for multimedia is for video encoding—both compression and decompression. The chapter reviews the basic characteristics of video compression algorithms and the implications for video SoC design. Many SoCs are heterogeneous multiprocessors and the architectures designed for multimedia applications are no exception. The chapter discusses several representative tools that employ established and experimental models of computation and provide features for simulation, rapid prototyping, synthesis, and optimization. Functional validation, performance analysis, and power analysis of SoCs require simulating large numbers of vectors. Video and other SoC applications allow complex input sequences.
