Compiling Esterel into sequential code

This paper presents a novel compiler for Esterel, a concurrent synchronous imperative language. It generates fast, small object code by compiling away concurrency, producing a single C function requiring no operating system support for threads. It translates an Esterel program into an acyclic concurrent controlflow graph from which code is synthesized that runs instructions in an order respecting inter-thread communication. Exceptions and preemption constructs become conditional branches. Variables save control state; conditional branches restore it. Although designed for Esterel, this approach could be applied to compiling other synchronous concurrent languages.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: DAC
• Authors: Stephen A. Edwards
• Keywords: Acyclic Concurrent Controlflow, Conditional Branches, DAC 2000, Design Automation, Synchronous Concurrent Languages