Virtualizer—VDK

Overview
``

The
`` Impact of Software
What
`` are Virtual Prototypes and VDKs?
Faster,
`` Higher Quality Software Development
Use
`` Virtual Prototyping from Specification to
Deployment
Virtualizer
`` Technical Specification
About
`` Synopsys Prototyping Solutions
Overview Development Kits (VDKs) are software development kits
Semiconductor and embedded device companies developing the containing design-specific virtual prototypes as well as debug and
next generation wireless, consumer and automotive devices are analysis tools and sample software. Since these VDKs are based
facing increasing challenges; including verifying complex multicore on software models and hence have no dependency on hardware
hardware, developing software in a timely and cost effective availability they can be created much earlier in the design cycle, up
manner and communicating specifications across their supply to 12 months before hardware availability. Moreover, they interface
chain efficiently. As a result, they have been relying on virtual seamlessly with the most popular embedded software debuggers,
prototypes to “shift left” and pull in the software development providing debug data and control beyond any other simulation and
schedule alongside the hardware development schedule.. debug target. This enables software developers to start software
bring-up much earlier without changing their existing software
Synopsys delivers the most complete virtual prototyping solution, development environment. Available pre-RTL, they enable
which include authoring tools, model libraries, software debug concurrent hardware/software engineering and more productive
and analysis tools, design methodologies and services. Synopsys’ software development, integration and test throughout the design
proven virtual prototyping experience and expertise has enabled flow from specification to deployment. Virtual prototypes and
leading semiconductor and electronics companies to deliver more VDKs can represent systems ranging from a processor core,
competitive and higher quality products up to 6 months faster than system-on-chip (SoC) or hardware board to electronic devices or
waiting for production hardware to start software development. a network of devices.

The Impact of Software Faster, Higher Quality Software Development

Increased software content and complexity in embedded devices Virtual prototypes enable faster embedded software and system
is causing a paradigm shift. Software and hardware development development through:
has become so interdependent that maintaining separate
Early availability: VDKs are available before the physical
``
development efforts can cost design and development teams
system (RTL, board, testbench, etc.). They can represent
an additional 6 months — and their market window. In addition,
the entire system, a subsystem or simply a set of relevant
electronic device companies are constantly under pressure
software development functionality (e.g. a core with the set
to deliver more competitive products faster. As a result, new
of peripherals needed for OS porting).
development tools and approaches are required.
Easier accessibility: VDKs are software packages, and as
``
These new development tools must address the challenges such they can be duplicated and distributed worldwide to
of concurrent hardware and software development, developer a large number of users in a matter of minutes rather than
productivity and collaboration between teams and within the weeks. They provide a simplified development environment
supply chain. Virtual prototyping provides a solution to these new executable on every developer’s desktop.
development challenges and requirements. VDKs take it further Increased productivity: VDKs, unlike physical hardware,
``
and make virtual prototyping easy and of immediate value to provide visibility and control over the entire system. This
software developers. includes cores, interconnects and peripherals. It results in
faster edit-compile-debug cycle productivity. In addition,
the system execution is deterministic and the debugging is
What Are Virtual Prototypes and VDKs?
non-intrusive.
Virtual prototypes are fast, fully functional software models of
systems that execute unmodified production code and provide
higher debugging and analysis efficiency to users. Virtualizer

Software Device
Software development
development software
Device tool stack stack
tool stack software
Developer’s stack
Virtual
desktop Prototype Synopsys Virtual Prototype
Environment software debug
and analysis

Logic analyzer
Developer’s desktop

Figure 1. From a physical to virtual development environment

2
 Traditional Flow

Development effort
Software
development

Hardware Integration Product support

development and test and maintenance

Time-to-market Time-to-market

Virtual Prototyping Flow

Development effort

Higher
prototyping

Software Higher
ve
elopment
l p
lo pmen
pm
developmententt Earlier TTM quality
Integration
and test
Hardw
Hardware
waarre
aree Product support and maintenance

Time-to-market Time-to-market

Figure 2. Virtual Prototypes accelerate time-to-market with higher quality and fewer resources

Incorporating VDKs in the product development cycle also results Development: software development, system integration
in more competitive products through: and test
Early validation of specification ensuring differentiated
`` Bootloader, operating system and middleware bring-up
``
products that meet market requirements Silicon validation software development
``
Extensive corner case testing resulting in higher quality
`` Software optimization for performance and energy
``
software development Real world, scenario driven, end-to-end software
``
Reduced development costs through improved productivity
`` integration testing
and early start of development and testing Advanced testing for function, power and security through
``
fault injection
Use VDKs from Specification to Deployment
There are several virtual prototyping use cases and design tasks Verification: software-driven verification
throughout the software development cycle, including: Increase verification confidence by verifying real world
``
software and use cases
Specification: accurate requirements definition
RTL verification acceleration by using high speed CPU
``
Capture and define software functional requirements
``
simulation models

Prototyping: hardware/software system prototyping

Deployment
Prototype and evaluate hardware/software integration options
Go-to-market, technical support and customer enablement
``
for control and data flow between multiple CPUs, CPUs and
peripherals and between systems
Simulate and analyze different performance and power
``
management hardware/software architectures

3
 Software tool interfaces

Model Component Design tasks:

modeling HW/SW debug
libraries and analysis tools • SW development
• System validation and test
Assembly Virtual • Supply chain enablement
prototype • SoC HW/SW integration
• SW-driven verification

Debugging VDKs
Block
creation
flows Virtualizer: VDK Creation VDK use

Co-simulation and external connectivity

Figure 3. Virtual prototyping development flow

Virtualizer Technical Specification Virtualizer includes:

The Synopsys Virtualizer environment is comprised of a suite
™
The largest portfolio of processors, interconnects,
``
of closely integrated tools and technologies which enable the peripherals and reference designs enabling developers to
development and deployment of VDKs. All tools are accessible quickly start assembling virtual prototypes and VDKs
through the Eclipse-based Virtualizer Studio IDE. This IDE Intuitive graphical and script-based prototype assembly
``
provides perspectives associated with the different development
Easy creation of industry standard based SystemC TLM-2.0
``
and deployment activities: TLM Creation, VDK Creation and
peripheral models with the ability to import specifications
VDK Debug.
in common formats like IP-XACT, Excel, Word and PDF
``
For VDK developers, Virtualizer delivers faster time to VDK
`` (TLM Creator)
availability through the largest model portfolio, including
Automated generation of template models, documentation
``
support for the leading processor core IP and DesignWare®
and unit tests (TLM Creator)
IP models, intuitive and SystemC TLM-2.0 aware authoring
tools and automated packaging to facilitate the distribution Automated packaging of virtual prototypes and the associated
of VDKs across the supply chain. debug and analysis tools along with an installer and sample
For software developers and SoC hardware/software
`` software for easy distribution as a VDK to software developers
integration, verification or system validation engineers,
SystemC TLM aware model debugging tools based on the
``
VDKs provide fast and accurate virtual prototype simulation
Eclipse framework
combined with advanced debug and analysis tools
Integrated flows with component design tools such as high
``
supporting system-level, multicore-aware software debug
level synthesis, processor design, algorithm design and
and analysis, concurrent hardware/software analysis,
model-based design
and synchronized debugging with third-party software
debuggers and IDEs.
In order to ensure the right simulation support for the different
end user development tasks, Virtualizer supports multiple levels of
Virtualizer: rapid and efficient development of virtual abstraction and design methodologies. They include:
prototypes and VDKs
The IEEE and Accellera Systems Initiative loosely timed
``
Virtualizer enables the rapid and efficient creation of virtual
and approximately timed abstraction level defined by the
prototypes and VDKs designed to meet the needs of developers
Transaction Level Modeling TLM-2.0 methodology
tasked to create models from specifications. The focus of the
Virtualizer creation tools are to accelerate the time to availability of SystemC-based untimed and cycle accurate abstraction
``
the VDK, while ensuring it meets the requirements of the end-user level and modeling
development task. Hybrid modeling for HDL/virtual prototyping co-simulation,
``
virtual prototyping co-emulation or combined FPGA/virtual
prototype execution targeted at verification and system
integration

4
 Figure 4. Virtualizer VDK Creation and TLM Creation Perspectives inside Virtualizer Studio

Virtualizer supports the largest model library and reference design Debug and analysis tools covering system level multicore
``
portfolio with more than 300 models available from Synopsys. software debug, analysis and system-level hardware/
These models include processor cores, interconnects and software analysis
peripherals as well as complete reference designs running entire Fully scriptable and customizable environment enabling
``
software stacks. Synopsys provides support for a wide range of scenario-based testing, record and replay, application-
popular processor architectures including ARM®, ARC®, PowerPC, specific data capture, etc.
Renesas, Infineon, CEVA, Tensilica, as well as peripheral IP Non-intrusive operating system awareness plug-ins.
``
models from the Synopsys DesignWare TLM library. In addition,
Virtual I/Os enabling connectivity to physical components
``
an extensive set of APIs enable developers to incorporate their
such as USB or Ethernet
own models for simulation, debugging and analysis in Virtualizer.
Interfaces to other domain simulators including HDL
``
Tools for VDK are targeted at software development, integration, simulators such as VCS®, physical system simulation,
test and verification regression users, supporting: algorithm design simulators, etc.
High-speed and accurate simulation performance on Linux
`` Integration with emulators such as the ZeBu® emulator
``
and Windows hosts Integration with FPGA-based prototyping environments
Deterministic simulation of multicore platforms executing
`` such as the HAPS® systems
unmodified production software
Non-intrusive debugging of software and the
``
underlying platform
Debug synchronization with a broad range of embedded
``
software debuggers and IDEs including ARM RVDS, ARM
DS-5, Lauterbach TRACE32, Eclipse-based IDE, PLS,
gdb/DDD, etc.
Plug-and-play Eclipse IDE support delivers tight integration
``
with Eclipse-based software debuggers, improving software
development productivity and reducing ramp-up time

Tools for Virtualizer Development Kits (VDKs): Productivity

tools for the software development process
Tools for VDKs are targeted at developers interested in using
a virtual prototype for earlier software development (up to 12-
18 months prior to RTL). These design tasks include software
Figure 5. VDKs provide extensive visibility and tracing of
development, integration and test, hardware verification,system hardware and software
validation and more. In addition, the debug and analysis

5
Supported Platforms
Virtualizer and VDKs support both Linux and Windows, and 64-bit
host platforms (dependent on model availability).

Synopsys Services: ramp up faster, expand your capacity,

leverage expertise
Tools and methodology training to enable individual users to
``
improve their use of the tools
CoStart services enable faster project ramp up time with
``
hands-on guidance from Synopsys tools, modeling and
methodology experts
Modeling services provide additional assistance to create
``
component models or subsystems
VDK creation services provide a complete platform delivery
``
capability enabling the developer to focus exclusively on
using the VDK

About Synopsys Prototyping Solutions

Virtualizer and Virtualizer Development Kits are part of Synopsys’
end-to-end prototyping solution:

Provides the largest portfolio of transaction-level models

``
from a single supplier
Accelerates the creation and optimization of common
``
SoC blocks
Facilitates SoC architecture exploration and optimization
``
Provides the most complete prototyping solutions to
``
accelerate embedded software development and system
validation
Enables reuse and value throughout the semiconductor and
``
system companies supply chain

For more information on Prototyping Solutions, visit:

www.synopsys.com/prototyping

Synopsys’ virtual prototyping solution is delivered through

Virtualizer and VDK.

For more information about the Synopsys Virtual

Prototyping Solution visit us on the web at
www.synopsys.com/virtualprototypes, contact your
local sales representative or call 650.584.5000.

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08/16.CE.CS7601.