Design space exploration

Design Space Exploration (DSE) refers to systematic analysis and pruning of unwanted design points based on parameters of interest. While the term DSE can apply to any kind of system, we refer to electronic and embedded system design in this article. Design Space Exploration (DSE) refers to systematic analysis and pruning of unwanted design points based on parameters of interest. While the term DSE can apply to any kind of system, we refer to electronic and embedded system design in this article. Given the complex specification of electronic systems and the plethora of design choices ranging from the choice of components, number of components, operating modes of each of the components, connections between the components, choice of algorithm, etc.; design decisions need to be based on a systematic exploration process. However, the exploration process is complex because of a variety of ways in which the same functionality can be implemented. A tradeoff analysis between each of the implementation option based on a certain parameter of interest forms the basis of DSE. The parameter of interest could vary across systems, but the commonly used parameters are power, performance, and cost. Additional factors like size, shape, weight, etc. can be important for some handheld systems like cellphone and tablets. With growing usage of mobile devices, energy is also becoming a mainstream optimization parameter along with power and performance.