Methods and apparatus for profile-guided optimization of integrated circuits
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsByron Sinclair, John Freeman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for performing profile-guided optimization of integrated circuit hardware are provided. Circuit design tools may receive a source code and compile the source code to generate a hardware description. The hardware description may include profiling blocks configured to measure useful information required for optimization. The hardware description may then be simulated to gather profiling data. The circuit design tools may then analyze the gathered profiling data to identify additional opportunities for hardware optimization. The source code may then be modified based on the analysis of the profiling data to produce a smaller and faster hardware that is better suited to the application.
Claims20
A method of using circuit design tools running on computing equipment to implement an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- receiving a source code;
- compiling the source code to generate a hardware description for the integrated circuit, wherein the hardware description includes profiling blocks;
- simulating the hardware description so that the profiling blocks can gather profiling data;
- analyzing the profiling data to identify opportunities for hardware optimization;
- and
- updating the source code based on the identified opportunities for hardware optimization to generate a smaller hardware design for the integrated circuit.
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- circuitry having a given hardware design;
- and
- a profiling block that is coupled to the circuitry and that is used to gather data on the circuitry, wherein the given hardware design of the circuitry is updated based on the data gathered by the profiling block.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:
- receiving a software code for implementing an integrated circuit;
- compiling the software code to output a hardware code;
- simulating the hardware code to obtain simulation results;
- and
- annotating the software code based on the simulation results, wherein the annotated software code implements a faster and smaller design for the integrated circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.