ARM SoC Modelling Using RealView SoC Designer

Standard Level - 3 days

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ARM SoC Modelling using RealView SoC Designer is a 3 day Doulos/ARM Partner Course teaching how to use RealView® SoC Designer to model and analyse System on Chip (SoC) designs. The course is intended for two groups of users:

engineers who need to use RealView SoC Designer for modelling transaction level models of System On Chip (SoC) designs
engineers who need to develop and integrate new models into the RealView environment

The course comprises 2 modules:

SoC Simulation using RealView SoC Designer (1 day) provides a good grounding in using RealView SoC Designer for simulating an SoC. This module is suitable for hardware and software engineers who need to use RealView SoC Designer to assess performance of SoC systems.
Developing IP using RealView (2 days) follows on from day 1, and enables the user to develop models within RealView SoC Designer. It introduces the application programming interfaces (APIs) and covers writing models using these interfaces.

The syllabus covers the use of RealView SoC Designer, writing models to the RealView APIs, simulating transaction level models (TLM models) with ARM processors, the simulation concepts used by RealView SoC Designer to create high speed simulations, and performance analysis of SoC models.

Who should attend?

Hardware and Software Engineers, SoC Architects, and Concept Engineers who wish to learn the use of RealView SoC Designer.

What will you learn?

How to use RealView SoC Designer
Simulating Hardware and Software together at high speed
Using RealView SoC Designer to analyse and identify performance bottlenecks
Writing models to the RealView APIs
Instrumenting RealView models
Importing existing models
Simulating SystemC models (optional)

Pre-requisites

For the full 3-day course delegates should be able to write C code, and have basic knowledge of C++, equivalent to attending the Doulos course Essential C++.

Course materials

Doulos Course materials are renowned as the most comprehensive and user friendly available. Their style, content and coverage is unique in the HDL training world and has made them sought after resources in their own right. Course fees include:

Fully indexed course notes creating a complete reference manual
Workbook full of practical examples to help you apply your knowledge

Structure and Content

SoC Simulation using RealView SoC Designer (day 1)

Introduction

Transaction Level Modelling and Simulation • Levels of Abstraction (CA, CX) • RealView SoC Designer • How RealView SoC Designer are applied to SoC simulation and analysis w Using processor models with RealView SoC Designer • Simulating a CX model.

How RealView SoC Designer Works

Cycle-Based Scheduling • Introduction to the Scheduler • Master/Slave Modelling • Types of Ports • Introduction to the APIs (MxPI, MxDI, MxSI) • Launching the RealView debugger • Simulating a CA model • AHB and AXI Modelling

Developing a Simple Component

Using the Component Wizard •Understanding the code the wizard creates •How to complete the methods• Using Communicate/Update • Writing Slave and Master signal methods• Writing Transaction methods • Compiling and using the component• Running a component model with a simple test harness

Evaluating Alternative Architectures

Evaluating different architectures• Interpreting graphical profiling information •Introduction to MxScript • The Simulator API •Compile and Run Time parameters • Automating multiple runs and controlling the simulator from MxScript

Developing IP with RealView SoC Designer (days 2-3)

Understanding the RealView SoC Designer Class Library

The sc_mx_module class •Overview of scheduler methods •How Master Ports work• How Slave ports work• Clocking • Master and slave port classes in detail• Methods you must provide • Methods you do not need to edit • Class hierarchy

Developing a Complex Component

Creating a Cycle Based Component • Using the update()/communicate() cycle • Creating Zero Time (no clock) Components • Implementing Save/Restore • Hard and Soft Reset • How to Create Hierarchy

Implementing AHB Components

Mapping a protocol onto function calls • Control Structures • Implementing AHB protocol stages • An introduction to AXI implemtation

The Transaction Interface

The multi-cycle transaction interface • Transaction master ports • Transaction slave ports • Callbacks and notification • The timing table • Transaction properties • Usage

AXI Modelling

Header files and properties • The AXI protocol • AXI properties • Example AXI Master • Example AXI Slave • Simulation and display of AXI transactions

The Debugging Interface

The Debugging API • Default debugging code • Hooking your own code into the debugging system • Using Read/Write ReadDbg/WriteDbg • Introduction to the Debugger Integration Package

The Profiling Interface

The Profiling API • Hook your code into the profiling API • Launching a debugger • Hooks to disassemblers

ARM Methodology

Using transactions for AMBA models • Multi-cycle transactions • How transaction information is transferred • Example using AXI

(Optional) Using RealView SoC Designer with SystemC

Importing a SystemC Model • The SystemC scheduler vs. the RealView scheduler • Exporting a RealView model for use standalone with SystemC

(Optional) Co-simulation with HDL

Co-simulation with VDHL/Verilog • Creating a component • Instancing the foreign component • Launching co-simulation

No public course dates are currently scheduled

Please contact Doulos to schedule a public course to suit you, or to discuss onsite training.