Application domains have had a considerable impact on the evolution of embedded systems in terms
of required methodologies and supporting tools, and resulting technologies. Multimedia and network
applications, the most frequently reported implementation case studies at scientific conferences
on embedded systems, have had a profound influence on the evolution of embedded systems with
the trend now toward multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoCs), which combine the advantages
of parallel processing with the high integration levels of systems-on-chip (SoCs). Many SoCs today
incorporate tens of interconnected processors; as projected in the  edition of the International
Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the number of processor cores on a chip will reach over
 by . The design of MPSoCs invariably involves integration of heterogeneous hardware and
software IP components, an activity which still lacks a clear theoretical underpinning, and is a focus
of many academic and industry projects.