Compiling Esterel into Static Discrete-Event Code

Executing concurrent specifications on sequential hardware is important for both simulation of systems that are eventually implemented on concurrent hardware and for those most conveniently described as a set of concurrent processes. As with most forms of simulation, this is easy to do correctly but difficult to do efficiently. Solutions such as preemptive operating systems and discrete-event simulators present significant overhead. In this paper, we present a technique for compiling the concurrent language Esterel into very efficient C code. Our technique minimizes runtime overhead by making most scheduling decisions at compile time and using a very simple linkedlist-based event queue at runtime. While these techniques work particularly well for Esterel with its high-level concurrent semantics, the same technique could also be applied to efficiently execute other concurrent specifications.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2006
• Where: ENTCS
• Authors: Stephen A. Edwards, Vimal Kapadia, Michael Halasz
• Keywords: Concurrent Hardware, Concurrent Language Esterel, Concurrent Specifications, ENTCS 2006