Metamodeling and code generation in the hardware/software interface domain

Abstract

In the HW/SW interface domain, specification of memory architecture and software-accessible hardware registers are both relevant for the implementation of hardware and the firmware running on it. Automated code generation of both HW and SW artifacts from a shared data source is a well-established method to ensure consistency. Metamodeling is a key technology to ease such code generation and to formalize the data structures target code is generated from. While this can be utilized for a wide range of automation and generation tasks, it is particularly useful for bridging the HW/SW design gap. Metamodeling is the basis for the construction of large model-driven automation solutions that go far beyond simple code generation solutions. Based on the formalization metamodels provide, models can be incrementally transformed and combined to create more refined models for particular design tasks. IPXACT and UML/SysML can be utilized within the scope of metamodeling. The utilization of these standards and the development of custom metamodels - targeted to specific design tasks - have proven to be highly successful and promise large potential for further productivity increase.