Model-driven design and ASM-based validation of embedded systems

In the embedded system and System-on-Chip (SoC) design area, the increasing technological complexity coupled with requests for more performance and shorter time to market have caused a high interest for new methods, languages and tools capable of operating at higher levels of abstraction than the conventional system level. This chapter presents a model-driven and tool-assisted development process of SoCs, which is based on high-level UML design of system components, guarantees SystemC code generation from graphical models, and allows validation of system behaviors on formal models automatically derived from UML models. An environment for system design and analysis is also presented, which is based on a UML profile for SystemC and the Abstract State Machine formal method.