Method and system for hierarchical hardware mapping for software design

• US 8,146,052 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Bray, Steven Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, BEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/894,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2117/08 HW-SW co-design, e.g. HW-SW partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/327 Logic synthesis; Behaviour synthesis, e.g. mapping logic, HDL to netlist, high-level language to RTL or netlist

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward a method for hierarchical hardware mapping in a software design environment. The method comprises the step of providing a software design tool on a graphical interface of a computer system. The method also includes receiving, in the software design tool, graphical representation of at least a portion of software and receiving, in the software design tool, graphical representation of at least a portion of hardware. The method may further include receiving, in the software design tool, one or more bindings between software and hardware, wherein the one or more bindings form a set of bindings, and storing the set of bindings for use in one or more software designs.

Claims

1. A method, executed by at least one processor, for hierarchical hardware mapping in a software design environment, the method comprising:

providing a software design tool on a graphical interface of a computer system;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of a graphical representation of a hardware electronic control unit (ECU);

receiving, in the software design tool;

a selection of a binding between a graphical representation of first software and the ECU, the selection defining a first hierarchical software level; and

a selection of a binding between a graphical representation of second software and the ECU, the selection defining a second hierarchical software level;

associating the first and second hierarchical levels to form a system composition in which the first hierarchical software level includes the second hierarchical software level; and

storing the system composition for use in one or more software designs.

2. The method of claim 1, further including generating at least a portion of software code associated with the system composition.

3. The method of claim 2, further including providing the at least a portion of software code to an embedded system associated with the ECU, wherein the at least a portion of software code, when executed by a processor associated with the embedded system, is configured to control an operational aspect associated with one or more components associated with the embedded system.

4. The method of claim 1, further including receiving, by the software design tool, a user-defined restriction that limits at least one of the first or second software to a particular thread of execution, virtual memory space, processor, or type or instance of ECU.

5. The method of claim 4, further including restricting, by the software design tool and based on one or more rules, at least one of the bindings to a particular type of ECU.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising simulating, by the software design tool, the system composition based on at least one of the first or second software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the system composition is defined by a hierarchy of function block diagrams.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representations include at least one of descriptive text, visual characteristics of the ECU, or a symbolic indication of characteristics associated with at least one of the first or second software.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use on a computer system, the computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the bindings bind the first and second software to one or more pins of the ECU.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second software is for performing operations of a sensor, an actuator, or the ECU.

12. A computer system comprising:

a display;

a processor configured to;

provide a software design tool on a graphical interface of a computer system;

receive, in the software design tool, a selection of a binding between a graphical representation of first software and one or more pins of a graphical representation of a hardware electronic control unit (ECU), the selection defining a first hierarchical software level;

receive, in the software design tool, a selection of a binding between a graphical representation of second software and one or more pins of a graphical representation of a second ECU, the selection defining a second hierarchical software level;

associate the first and second hierarchical levels to form a system composition in which the first hierarchical software level includes the second hierarchical software level; and

store the system composition for use in one or more software designs.

13. The computer system of claim 12, the processor being further configured to generate at least a portion of software code associated with the system composition.

14. The computer system of claim 13, the processor being further configured to provide the software code to the an embedded system, wherein the at least a portion of software code, when executed by a processor associated with the embedded system, is configured to control an operational aspect associated with one or more components associated with the embedded system.

15. The computer system of claim 12, the processor being further configured to receive, by the software design tool, a user-defined restriction that limits at least one of the first or second software to a particular thread of execution, virtual memory space, processor, or type or instance of ECU.

16. The computer system of claim 15, the processor being further configured to restrict, in the software design tool and based on one or more rules, at least one of the bindings to a particular type of ECU.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the system composition is configured to be simulated by the software design tool.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the system composition is defined by a hierarchy of function block diagrams.

19. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the graphical representations include at least one of descriptive text, visual characteristics of at least one of the first or second ECU, or symbolic indication of characteristics associated with at least one of the first or second software.

20. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first software is for performing operations of a sensor, an actuator, or the first ECU, and the second software is for performing operations of a sensor, an actuator, or the second ECU.

21. A method, executed by at least one processor, for mapping a software hierarchy to hardware in a software design environment, the method comprising:

providing a software design tool on a graphical interface of a computer system;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of a graphical representation of a first portion of software and a second portion of software;

receiving, in the software design tool, a user designation associating a first level of the software hierarchy with;

a binding of the first portion of software to a first hardware electronic control unit (ECU), a processor associated with the first ECU, and a memory device associated with the first ECU; and

a binding of the second portion of software to one or more pins of the first ECU;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of a graphical representation of a third portion of software and a fourth portion of software;

receiving, in the software design tool, a user designation associating a second level of the software hierarchy with;

a binding of the third portion of software to a second hardware ECU, a processor associated with the second ECU, and a memory device associated with the second ECU; and

a binding of the fourth portion of software to one or more pins of the second ECU; and

storing the user designations for use in one or more software designs.

22. The method of claim 21, further including notifying, by the software design tool, a user of the computer system that an association between at least one of the first ECU or the second ECU and a level of the software hierarchy is required.

23. The method of claim 21, further including maintaining, by the software design tool, a list of user designations and a software hierarchy corresponding to each of the user designations.

24. A method, executed by at least one processor, for hierarchical hardware mapping in a software design environment, the method comprising:

providing a software design tool on a graphical interface of a computer system;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of a graphical representation of of first software and second software;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of a graphical representation of a first hardware electronic control unit (ECU) and a second hardware ECU;

receiving, in the software design tool, a selection of one or more bindings between the first software and the first ECU, the selection defining a first hierarchical software level;

receive, in the software design tool, a selection of one or more bindings between the second software and the second ECU, the selection defining a second hierarchical software level;

associating the first and second hierarchical software levels to form a system composition in which the first hierarchical software level includes the second hierarchical software level; and

storing the system composition for use in one or more software designs.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the bindings bind the first and second software to one or more pins of the ECU.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first software is for performing operations of a sensor, an actuator, or the first ECU, and the second software is for performing operations of a sensor, an actuator, or the second ECU.