VWorks Announces New Virtual Platform Technology to Accelerate Embedded Software Development

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA (PRWEB) September 13, 2012

VWorks, technology leader in ESL and virtual prototyping for software, hardware and electronic systems development, today announced the availability of new releases of VLAB™, Genesis™, and VLAB Toolkits, constituting a complete ESL solution for implementing virtual platforms and accelerating embedded software development.

Highlights:

•     Virtual platform application leverage: deploy completed and pre-verified VLAB applications (system level simulations) with ease, even for inexperienced users. This significantly lowers ESL simulator development and deployment costs, and enables new business models around virtual platforms.
•     IP protection: distribute SystemC models in binary form for VLAB or any other standard-compliant SystemC simulation environment. This enables much better modeling IP protection than source code distribution. And, fast ESL modeling with Genesis accelerates virtual platform development while reducing costs.
•     Enhanced multi-core debug: gain total visibility and controllability in ESL modeling with VLAB, supporting industry-standard debuggers for fast multi-core development and easy adoption in existing debug flows.
•     Automotive standards: Advanced CAN network modeling and Vector co-simulation Toolkits extend standards support (FlexRay, ECU, AutoSAR, and automotive IP/SOC models).
•     Hardware- independent wireless development: adopt Android Emulation Toolkit to develop Android software even before a virtual platform is available, and long before hardware is ready.

Embedded software developers targeting multi-core SoCs will experience enhanced multi-core debug capabilities in VLAB based on the Multi-Core Debug (MCD) API, as well as a unique multi-core aware GNU Debugger (GDB) interface for low-cost applications. A new Software Debug Client Toolbox complements the functionality of third-party software debuggers and extends the VLAB capability for advanced software debug and instrumentation.

Examples include creating and managing target software breakpoints and watchpoints; combined hardware/software breakpoints, dynamically assigning VLAB "action scripts" for execution when a particular software breakpoint or watchpoint is hit; software profiling; and execution trace property checking.

This advanced debug capability leverages high-performance VLAB simulation, which delivered a 10x simulation debug speed improvement when modeling a 32-bit automotive MCU.

Virtual platform creators will notice significant improvements in productivity and capability of the platform creation and deployment flows supported by VLAB. With this new VLAB release, developers are able to use completed and pre-verified VLAB applications (pre-built system level simulations) in both OSCI/ASI SystemC and VLAB runtime environments. Increased leverage and re-use lowers development costs, and helps unify design chains adopting ESL. VLAB also gains in co-simulation and MATLAB flow integration capabilities.

Model creators using Genesis and Processor Modeling Studio will benefit from the ability to create and deploy SystemC models in binary form targeting any standard-compliant SystemC simulation environment. This enables much better modeling IP protection than source code distribution, while capitalizing on the fast model generation capabilities of Genesis. Genesis imports IP specifications to generate standard SystemC models, for fast virtual prototype development and assembly, boosting productivity and shortening development cycle times.

The new VLAB, Genesis and Toolkit releases also offer advanced support features important markets such as automotive and communications, building upon the VLAB application-aware portfolio approach, and extending the rich set of ESL models for key IP and standards.

•     For automotive: Advanced CAN network modeling and simulation capability with CAN and Vector co-simulation Toolkits. This builds upon our existing support for standards such as FlexRay, ECU, AutoSAR, and automotive IP/SOC models.
•     For wireless and mobile: an SoC-agnostic Android Emulation Toolkit allows Android software to be developed even before a virtual platform is available, and long before hardware is ready. This high-level, hardware-independent capability adds to our support for standards and our rich library of IP/SOC models.

“The right capabilities, the right IP, the right modeling tools, and support for relevant standards are key to our success in the automotive and wireless markets.” commented Atanas Parashkevov, CTO and VP of Core Products at VWorks/ASTC. “We work closely with our customers worldwide to ensure we stay ahead of their technology curves.”

Availability and Resources
The new VLAB 1.8, Genesis 5.2 and Toolkit releases are available now.
Learn more about VLAB: http://www.vworks.com

•     Videos on the VLAB Advantage, and ROI from virtual prototyping

•     Demo videos of VLAB virtual platforms
•     Download VLAB and try it yourself

About ASTC / VWorks
ASTC (Australian Semiconductor Technology Company) and VWorks serve global markets and supply chains for automotive, transportation, mobile, and multimedia electronics and embedded software. ASTC is a privately held semiconductor and software design services and solutions company. VWorks, a subsidiary of ASTC, delivers innovative ESL and virtual prototyping software for embedded software and system developers. VWorks and ASTC are headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, with over 100 staff, and offices in Australia, Europe, Japan, and North America. For more information, see http://www.vworks.com and http://www.astc-design.com.

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