Embedded electronic system design is currently faced with increasing levels of complexity, heterogeneity, and time-to-market demands. In order to cope with these pressures, abstraction and modularity are becoming cornerstones of today's design methodologies. However, if not accompanied by robust design frameworks and flows, they will not be successful. This book describes a number of frameworks and design flows which use a technique called Platform-based Design which addresses these concerns explicitly. This book discusses the emergence of Electronic System Level Design, the Metropolis and Metro II design frameworks, refinement verification and characterization techniques, as well as case studies in the areas of multimedia and distributed electronic system design. This work should be of interest to professionals and graduate students working in the areas of electronic design automation and embedded software design.