July 25th, 2019 – By: Brian Bailey
There may be a second chance for co-design, but the same barriers also may get in the way.
The core concepts in hardware-software co-design are getting another look, nearly two decades after this approach was first introduced and failed to catch on.
What’s different this time around is the growing complexity and an emphasis on architectural improvements, as well as device scaling, particularly for AI/ML applications. Software is a critical component, and the more tightly integrated the software, the better the power and performance. Software also adds an element of flexibility, which is essential in many of these designs because algorithms are in a state of almost constant flux.