New model-driven design and generation of multi-facet arbiters part I: From the design model to the architecture model

Designing of arbiters has become increasingly important because of their wide use in such as multi-processor system-on-a-chips (MPSoCs) and on- or off- chip high-speed cross-bar switches and networks. In this and an accompanying paper [6], we proposed a new systematic model-driven flow for design of the proposed new scalable multi-facet arbiters through a 3-phase process combined with the template-based modular design approach: the design model derivation phase the architecture model (or template) design phase as well as arbiter hardware implementation and generation phase. Here we described the phase 1 of the design flow of how to induce an arbiter design model in detail by careful analysis of arbiter design issues and systematic design space exploring the construction of the model. Then we continue to discuss the phase 2 of how to derive an architecture model or template using the reusability modularity and expansibility techniques. With both the design and architecture models designers can easily design or at least understand and thus choose many kinds of different but better arbiters efficiently. The phase 3 is described in the accompanying paper [6]. To our knowledge this is the first time that such a systematic model-driven design approach is proposed for the practical hardware design.