Handel-c

Handel-C was developed in the late 1990s by Celoxica Ltd. It was created to provide a high-level language for hardware design, allowing engineers to describe complex parallel algorithms and directly synthesize them into FPGA configurations. The goal was to simplify the hardware design process and make it more accessible to software developers by leveraging a familiar C-like syntax.

Strengths of Handel-C included its ability to simplify hardware design with a high-level, C-like syntax and its efficient mapping of parallel algorithms to FPGAs. Weaknesses involved a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with hardware design concepts and limited adoption compared to other languages. Competitors included VHDL, Verilog, and SystemC, which were more widely used in the industry for hardware description and synthesis.

A Handel-C expert must have strong proficiency in C programming, a deep understanding of hardware design principles, and experience with FPGA development. They should also be skilled in parallel computing concepts and familiar with hardware description languages like VHDL or Verilog for comparative purposes. Proficiency in using synthesis tools and debugging hardware circuits is essential.