DI-FITS
Open design methodology for standardized and automated IP integration in chip architectures
Start: 02/2026
End: 01/2029
FITS addresses the central challenge of IP integration in modern IC design: the time-consuming adaptation of prefabricated IP components to different target architectures. Through a formal description of structure, parameterization, and interface behavior, FITS enables traceable IP conformity testing and the automatic generation of adapters in case of incompatibilities. FITS thus significantly reduces integration effort and provides a robust foundation for the efficient, component-based use of both proprietary and open-source IPs.
Despite the fundamental role of IP components in modern IC designs, adapting them to the target architecture remains a significant cost factor. Especially with open-source IPs, which are gaining in importance, acceptance, and compliance, determining and enforcing design rules is difficult. The primary approach pursued in the FITS project is therefore not only to formalize the rules for the use of IP, but also to research and provide methods that enable verifiable, traceable conformity testing of IP.
The FZI is developing a method for assessing the compatibility of IP components. This involves developing methods for comparing and negotiating interface parameters between IP components. The intended tool, “FITS-check,” attempts to find parameterizations suitable for all components involved or to report interface incompatibility. As part of the behavior assessment, the subproject aims to develop test-driven methods for evaluating the interface behavior of IP components. For this purpose, a reference library is being created that specifies the interface behavior using transaction sequences. The subproject is also developing a well-defined format – FITS-IR – for describing components. FITS-IR forms the basis of the developed compatibility evaluation, i.e., static parameter negotiation and dynamic testing. These technical and methodological solutions simplify the integration of IP components and facilitate entry into IP-based SoC design.
Applied Artificial Intelligence
In this research focus, the FZI concentrates on practical research into the key technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Innovative AI solutions are developed and transferred to application areas such as mobility, robotics, healthcare technology, logistics, production, and supply and disposal on behalf of our partners and customers.
Sustainable Engineering and Energy
This research focus includes the research and design of sustainable IT innovations in the cross-sectional areas of energy, mobility, production, water management, and logistics. This involves developing systems that promote the ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable use of resources, and providing strategic consultancy services to companies, particularly SMEs, on their path to greater sustainability.
