GeCoS: A framework for prototyping custom hardware design flows

GeCoS is an open source framework that provide a highly productive environment for hardware design. GeCoS primarily targets custom hardware design using High Level Synthesis, distinguishing itself from classical compiler infrastructures. Compiling for custom hardware makes use of domain specific semantics that are not considered by general purpose compilers. Finding the right balance between various performance criteria, such as area, speed, and accuracy, is the goal, contrary to the typical goal in high performance context to maximize speed. The GeCoS infrastructure facilitates the prototyping of hardware design flows, going beyond compiler analyses and transformations. Hardware designers must interact with the compiler for design space exploration, and it is important to be able to give instant feedback to the users.

I. Introduction

In a typical flow of compiler research, new compiler passes are implemented as a “proof-of-concept” and to enable experimental validation. Compiler infrastructures that allow for rapid prototyping of compiler passes can greatly accelerate compiler research and are therefore an important aspect of compiler research.