Transaction-level modeling --- originally used decades ago in the development of telecommunications network architecture --- is now widely used in SoC design. Why? Because the modern SoC is now so complex that systematic modeling and analysis are required to devise the optimal chip architecture. The architectural model is the essential platform that kick-starts two other key tasks --- verification testbench development and software development. In addition, the interoperability imperatives of SoC design and verification, IP reuse, software development, and system evaluation and integration have driven the replacement of proprietary transaction-level modeling methodologies by a TLM standard that leverages the power of SystemC. The standard --- devised by the Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI) in collaboration with the Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP) --- covers the multiple levels of abstraction required for all of the foregoing tasks.

Development of mobile robots is a very difficult and time consuming task. If good development tools were available the development work would be more productive and products would be more reliable. The authors present an efficient design approach for wheeled mobile robot development and give an overall description of tools, which are useful during the development cycle. The problem is divided into several parts: control software, at high and low level; electronics, divided into digital, analogue and power; mechanics, actuators; and sensors.>

Designing mobile robots is a complicated task. A sophisticated mobile system has a very complex inner structure, which makes the overall architecture design hard to maintain. To partially overcome this problem the authors have implemented and tested a blackboard based data exchange architecture. Basic structure of the system is explained in this paper. Possibilities for different application areas are also presented.>