Conclusion

The digital systems required for the most high-performance applications are made up of integrated circuits comprising a few billion transistors. Designing these circuits is a real challenge, and can only be done with the help of tools that automate many of the design steps. This article has presented all the steps involved in designing digital circuits: models, languages, and automated behavioral, logical and physical synthesis steps.

Design aids will of course continue to evolve in line with demand for larger, more complex circuits and systems. However, there is growing interest in using FPGAs as a technological target, whether for prototyping or for the finished product. This does not fundamentally change the design process. Good integration of tools could enable non-specialists to use FPGAs as processing gas pedals, and thus increase dissemination and interest...