The Micon Svstem for Computer Disign

emiconductor technology provides tremendous opportunities for high processing power and reliable, low-cost‘ computers in the S office or laboratory. Many of these machines, ranging from PCs to superminicomputers, use commercially available microprocessor family components. The high-end microprocessors available today commonly support virtual memory and main memory caches. A full array of highperformance dedicated processors (graphics controllers and numerical coprocessors) and communication components complement these devices. One can construct a very sophisticated machine almost entirely from offthe-shelf components. Semiconductor designers have just begun to tap a well of possibilities that promises even more performance and functions in future chips. All of this advancement, however, extracts a price. Sophisticated components require sophisticated hardware designers. High-performance processors that commonly run in the 16- to 25-megahertz range force designers to become experts in high-speed logic design and computer architecture. The days of simple designs that consisted of a processor and a serial 1/0 interface are over. Today’s smallest computer system contains-at a minimum-disks, buses, and graphics-terminal interfaces. Workstations must use a minimum of three levels of memory hierarchy to achieve maximum performance. In addition, such traditional extras as networking and graphics are standard equipment. All of this integration places a strain on hardware designers who are trying to keep abreast of a rapidly evolving technology. In the marketplace-where product life cycles are measured in monthsthe competition continues to become more intense. Three forces impact the hardware designer: a reduced design time, the ceaseless demand for increased performance at a lower price, and a constantly evolving technology. It appears unlikely that these forces will abate of themselves. Therefore, designers need some assistance in the form of CAD tools. We consequently designed the microprocessor “configurer” system, or Micon, to provide support for computer hardware designers. The objective of Micon is to reduce the time required to construct a hardware system. The approach to achieving this objective rests on two points: