Model-Year Architectures for Rapid Prototyping

The Rapid Prototyping of Application-Specific Signal Processors (RASSP) program is changing the way engineers design embedded signal processors by providing a process that will reduce by at least a factor of four both the time-to-market and cost, and improve design quality. To achieve these improvements, Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) is using a methodology that stresses hardware and software reuse, and model-year architectures that enable interoperability and upgrades through open interface standards. This paper describes ATL's model-year architecture, which defines a framework for reuse to enable low-cost technology upgrades for embedded processors. This approach can be applied to a wide range of military and commercial applications.