This paper presents SHAPES, a tool for hardware- software partitioning. It is based on two main paradigms: the implementation of the partitioning tool by means of an expert system, and the use of fuzzy logic to model the parameters involved in the process. A Formal Description of VHDL-AMS Analogue Systems83590916abs.htm Tom KazmierskiUniversity of SouthamptonA formal definition of the general VHDL-AMS analogue system has been proposed to relate the way in which the language affects the specification of a non-linear discontinuous analogue system. It has been suggested to model the break set as a separate system in order to facilitate the interaction between the analogue equation set and the digital abstract machine. The significance of the proposed model is that it may be used in semantic validation of VHDL-AMS description and may also facilitate mixed-signal equation formulation for an underlying VHDL-AMS simulator.