Hardware/software codesign is a methodology for solving design problems in systems with processors or embedded controllers where the design requirements mandate a functionality and performance level for the system, independent of the hardware and software boundary. In addition to the challenges of functional correctness and total system performance, design time is often a critical factor. To design MAGIC, the programmable memory and communication controller for the Stanford FLASH

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... we employed a hardware/software codesign methodology. This methodology allowed us to concurrently design the hardware and software thereby reducing design time while simultaneously ensuring that the design would meet ambitious performance goals. Serializing the hardware and software design would have lengthened the design time and significantly increased the amount of redesign when the tradeoffs between the hardware and software implementations became clear late in the design process. The codesign approach led us to build a series of hierarchical simulators that allowed us to begin design verification early and to reduce the level of effort required to ensure a functional design.