ASSASSIN
From: Chantal Ykman (ykman@imec.be)
ASSASSIN is the IMEC compiler for synthesis and analysis of asynchronous
control circuits. It is an evolving system being developed by Peter
Vanbekbergen, Chantal Ykman, and Bill Lin. The software is written
in "C" and should be portable to most workstation platforms.
The specification formalism used is a general "Timed" Signal Transition
Graph (STG) Model. This model extends Chu's Signal Transition Graph model
in a number of important ways. These extensions were required to specify
and synthesize a wide class of industrial applications. For example, new
types of events and Boolean guards have been introduced to permit the
specification of mixed mode asynchronous/synchronous behavior. In addition,
general Petri nets with complex conditional behaviors are permitted in our
model, which is necessary to capture arbitration protocols. Also, timing
semantics have been defined to model environmental requirements and
assumptions. Other models, such as timing diagrams, may be translated
to the timed STG model.
For the timed STG model, a number of algorithms have been developed to
synthesize realistic design problems automatically. Some work at the
STG level while others work on a state graph (SG) model. At the STG
level, methods have been developed that can be used to synthesize and
optimize circuits directly from the STG without first generating a
state graph, where state explosion may occur. These methods enables
synthesis of highly concurrent specifications, coming up with solutions
where concurrency can be reduced in place of introducing unnecessary
state signals, as well as taking into account complex timing constraints.
At the state graph level, methods have been developed for exploring a
large solution space where concurrency can be reduced and where new state
signal transitions may be added in a concurrent way. These methods have
the important advantage that they can be applied to a very large class
of extended STG's, even non-STG formalisms as long as an initial state
graph consistent with interleaved semantics can be derived.
We have a set of available papers and reports.
ASSASSIN is available for experimental non-commercial use
free-of-charge. Currently it can be obtained via anonymous ftp to:
site: imec.be
directory: /pub/vsdm/SW-distrib/assassin
This directory contains "assassin2.0.tar.gz" and the README file, which
also explains:
- How to obtain the software from assassin2.0.tar.gz;
- The contents of the directory assassin2.0;
- How to install and run ASSASSIN.
Contact : Bill Lin (billlin@imec.be), Chantal Ykman (ykman@imec.be)
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