Developing programs for hardware implementation in a graphical specification and constraint language Via iterative estimation of performance or resource utilization

1. A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions executable by a computer system to perform:

providing a graphical program development environment comprising a graphical specification and constraint language that allows specification of a model of computation and explicit declaration of constraints;

creating a graphical program in a graphical specification and constraint language that allows explicit declaration of constraints in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises:

a specified model of computation;

a plurality of interconnected functional blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; and

graphically indicated specifications or constraints for at least one functional block of the functional blocks in the graphical program;

wherein the specifications or constraints comprise:

input count (IC), comprising a number of tokens consumed at an input terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

output count (OC), comprising a number of tokens produced at an output terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

execution time (ET), comprising a number of cycles needed by the functional block to complete firing;

initiation interval (II), comprising a minimum number of cycles between firings of the functional block;

input pattern (IP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the beginning of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes consumption of a token by the functional block; and

output pattern (OP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the end of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes production of a token by the functional block; and

analyzing the graphical program, including the specifications or constraints, thereby generating analysis results regarding performance or resource utilization, wherein said analyzing is performed before conversion of the graphical program to a hardware description, and wherein said analyzing comprises:

estimating performance or resource utilization for the at least one functional block, the plurality of functional blocks, or the graphical program, using a plurality of models, wherein each model has an associated level of granularity, and comprises raw model data and a function to customize the model for said estimating;

reporting whether or not the specifications or constraints are met based on the analysis results;

changing a first model of the plurality of models to a second model based on said reporting, wherein the second model has a different level of granularity from that of the first model;

repeating said analyzing and said reporting one or more times; and

automatically generating a program based on the graphical program, wherein the program implements the functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the specified model of computation, and further implements the specifications or constraints;

wherein the program is useable to configure a programmable hardware element to perform the functionality subject to the specifications or constraints.

2. The non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein at least one model of the plurality of models is associated with a first portion of the graphical program and has a level of granularity that is different from another model which is associated with a second portion of the graphical program.

3. The non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a global database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

4. The non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a distributed database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

5. The non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional block has a sub-cycle ET=0, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises delay before functional block input registers, delay after functional block output registers, and maximum combinational delay between registers of the at last one functional block.

6. The non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional block has an ET>=1, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises multiple configurations of the specification or constraints values and maximum delay between functional block registers.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

utilizing a computer to perform:

providing a graphical program development environment comprising a graphical specification and constraint language that allows specification of a model of computation and explicit declaration of constraints;

creating a graphical program in a graphical specification and constraint language that allows explicit declaration of constraints in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises:

a specified model of computation;

a plurality of interconnected functional blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; and

graphically indicated specifications or constraints for at least one functional block of the functional blocks in the graphical program;

wherein the specifications or constraints comprise:

input count (IC), comprising a number of tokens consumed at an input terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

output count (OC), comprising a number of tokens produced at an output terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

execution time (ET), comprising a number of cycles needed by the functional block to complete firing;

initiation interval (II), comprising a minimum number of cycles between firings of the functional block;

input pattern (IP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the beginning of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes consumption of a token by the functional block; and

output pattern (OP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the end of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes production of a token by the functional block; and

analyzing the graphical program, including the specifications or constraints, thereby generating analysis results regarding performance or resource utilization, wherein said analyzing is performed before conversion of the graphical program to a hardware description, and wherein said analyzing comprises:

estimating performance or resource utilization for the at least one functional block, the plurality of functional blocks, or the graphical program, using a plurality of models, wherein each model has an associated level of granularity, and comprises raw model data and a function to customize the model for said estimating;

reporting whether or not the specifications or constraints are met based on the analysis results;

changing a first model of the plurality of models to a second model based on said reporting, wherein the second model has a different level of granularity from that of the first model;

repeating said analyzing and said reporting one or more times; and

automatically generating a program based on the graphical program, wherein the program implements the functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the specified model of computation, and further implements the specifications or constraints;

wherein the program is useable to configure a programmable hardware element to perform the functionality subject to the specifications or constraints.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein at least one model of the plurality of models is associated with a first portion of the graphical program and has a level of granularity that is different from another model which is associated with a second portion of the graphical program.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a global database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a distributed database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one functional block has a sub-cycle ET=0, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises delay before functional block input registers, delay after functional block output registers, and maximum combinational delay between registers of the at last one functional block.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one functional block has an ET>=1, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises multiple configurations of the specification or constraints values and maximum delay between functional block registers.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory medium, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by a computer system to:

provide a graphical program development environment comprising a graphical specification and constraint language that allows specification of a model of computation and explicit declaration of constraints;

create a graphical program in a graphical specification and constraint language that allows explicit declaration of constraints in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises:

a specified model of computation;

a plurality of interconnected functional blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; and

graphically indicated specifications or constraints for at least one functional block of the functional blocks in the graphical program;

wherein the specifications or constraints comprise:

input count (IC), comprising a number of tokens consumed at an input terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

output count (OC), comprising a number of tokens produced at an output terminal of the at least one functional block by one firing of the at least one functional block;

execution time (ET), comprising a number of cycles needed by the functional block to complete firing;

initiation interval (II), comprising a minimum number of cycles between firings of the functional block;

input pattern (IP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the beginning of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes consumption of a token by the functional block; and

output pattern (OP), comprising a sequence of Boolean values of length at most II, wherein the sequence of Boolean values aligns with the end of firing of the functional block, wherein each true value in the sequence denotes production of a token by the functional block; and

analyze the graphical program, including the specifications or constraints, thereby generating analysis results regarding performance or resource utilization, wherein said analyzing is performed before conversion of the graphical program to a hardware description, and wherein said analyzing comprises:

estimating performance or resource utilization for the at least one functional block, the plurality of functional blocks, or the graphical program, using a plurality of models, wherein each model has an associated level of granularity, and comprises raw model data and a function to customize the model for said estimating;

report whether or not the specifications or constraints are met based on the analysis results;

change a first model of the plurality of models to a second model based on said reporting, wherein the second model has a different level of granularity from that of the first model;

repeat said analyzing and said reporting one or more times; and

automatically generate a program based on the graphical program, wherein the program implements the functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the specified model of computation, and further implements the specifications or constraints;

wherein the program is useable to configure a programmable hardware element to perform the functionality subject to the specifications or constraints.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one model of the plurality of models is associated with a first portion of the graphical program and has a level of granularity that is different from another model which is associated with a second portion of the graphical program.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a global database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least some of the plurality of models are stored in a distributed database keyed by a combination of functional block identification, the specified model of computation, the specification or constraints, and functional block interconnections.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one functional block has a sub-cycle ET=0, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises delay before functional block input registers, delay after functional block output registers, and maximum combinational delay between registers of the at last one functional block.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one functional block has an ET>=1, and wherein at least one of the plurality of models is for the at least one functional block and comprises multiple configurations of the specification or constraints values and maximum delay between functional block registers.