Automated Processor Hardware Synthesis

Continuing the line of thought from previous work from my supervisors
and senior research group member, the overarching goal of this
research is to synthesize processor hardware, specifically hardware to
interface between a processor and complex memory system. This consists
of several sub-goals.

These sub-goals are to determine the formal/mathematical specification
of the processor, it's details, and the processor's system details
that are required in order to have a software tool correctly
synthesize hardware units for processors.

These sub-goals will also require the development of analysis
procedures, likely involving a combination of formal and heuristic
analyses for synthesizing correct and functional hardware, and
potentially optimizing the performance of the generated hardware.
Additionally, the tool would need an appropriate internal
representation of the processor's hardware structures in order to
perform analyses.

The broader question this would work towards answering is if it is
possible or reasonable to synthesize hardware for a complex system
such as a processor. This would develop novel engineering
methodologies and answer multiple sub-questions such as what is the
appropriate input specification that is required to describe a
processor in a way that is natural for processor designers to express
and explore different hardware designs. Another important sub-question
is how should this software tool represent the processor design
internally to allow it to verify the correctness and functionality of
the design as well as optimize it. The novel methodology developed in
answering these questions is improving a processor designer's workflow
by giving them the ability to quickly have this tool synthesize
correct and optimal hardware of their intended design, rather than
manually implement a potentially error prone design. Additionally
identifying an appropriate formal specification of the processor
system that allows processor designers to express hardware designs
would be another novel contribution. Determining the appropriate
analyses and synthesis procedures a synthesis tool needs to perform is
another novel engineering methodology this would contribute towards.