Transforming Software to Silicon

Rumors of the possibility of translating the results of a high-level language such as C directly into RTL have abounded for the last few years. CebaTech, a C-based technology company, has turned rumors into reality with the introduction of an untimed C-to-RTL compiler, the central element in an advanced system-level design flow.

Operating in stealth mode for several years, the company developed its C-to- RTL compiler for use with IP development in TCP/IP networking. The nature of TCP/IP networking code, combined with CebaTech’s desire to have a complete system- level design tool, dictated that the compiler handle both very large and very complex code bases. The CebaTech flow is a software-centric approach to FPGA and ASIC design and implementation, allowing hardware designers to describe system architectures and software engineers to implement and verify these architectures in a pure software environment with traditional software tools.