Automatic C code manipulation and transformation to rapid embedded systems design

Automatic Custom Architecture Generator (ACAgen) is a C-to-Hardware toolset that aims to facilitate and automate the design and development of complex and heterogeneous embedded systems. Framework and algorithms to analyze the initial C code to be exploited in the hardware generation process are needed. Indeed, in the process of Custom Instruction integration within reconfigurable SoC, the initial application C code needs to be automatically updated with the custom instruction opcode. This paper presents the design, and development of an ACAgen Java library able to read, manipulate, and write C code. Its implementation is based on C parsing approach making the SoC design fast and easy. In order to evaluate the usefulness of our ACAgen Java library, we conducted a 3D case study where we applied the new tool to source code of Scalar, Znormal, Projection and other applications. As a result, ACAgen has been able to effectively identify the characteristics of the initial application C code to update it with the hardware components.