SystemC Modeling using TLM-2.0 Online

Hardware, software and systems engineers who have a good working knowledge of C++ and SystemC and want to learn to use the OSCI TLM-2.0 standard.

• How to apply your SystemC knowledge for effective transaction-level modeling
• How to make best use of the features of the OSCI TLM-2.0 standard How to use the TLM-2.0 interfaces, sockets and payload to build fast, interoperable models
• How to trade off simulation speed against timing accuracy while retaining interoperability
• How to model the features of common bus protocols

There are three necessary steps in the learning path to effective SystemC usage:

• Step 1
  C++ skills - gained by attending Essential C++ (or equivalent)
• Step 2
  SystemC skills - gained by attending Fundamentals of SystemC (or equivalent)
  Comprehensive SystemC comprises Essential C++ and Fundamentals of SystemC
• Step 3
  Transaction-level modeling skills - gained by attending SystemC Modeling Using TLM-2.0

 

Hardware or embedded software engineers with a background in Verilog, VHDL or C, will usually need to attend both Comprehensive SystemC and SystemC Modeling using TLM-2.0 within the space of a few weeks or months.

Engineers with an excellent working knowledge of C++ (or some other object-oriented programming language) may be able to fast-track some of the SystemC learning requirement. Please contact Doulos direct to discuss and assess your specific experience against the pre-requisites.

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

• Fully indexed course notes creating a complete reference manual
• Workbook full of practical examples and solutions to help you apply your knowledge
• Doulos SystemC Golden Reference Guide e-book for language, syntax, semantics and tips

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If you would prefer a paperback version of your Doulos Golden Reference Guide, this can be purchased from the Doulos online shop.

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Introduction

Role of SystemC and TLM • Evolution of TLM within OSCI • TLM requirements and use cases • Coding styles • TLM-2.0 structure and architecture • Interoperability layer • Utilities • The OSCI TLM-2.0 release kit and documentation

TLM-2.0 Architecture

Initiators, targets, and interconnect • Initiator and target sockets • Pass-by-reference • Forward and backward paths • TLM-2 core interfaces • Blocking versus non-blocking transport • Standard socket classes • Socket binding • Introduction to the generic payload and base protocol

Blocking Transport Interface

Blocking transport interface • Timing annotation • Temporal decoupling • Quantum keeper • Global quantum • Synchronization-on-demand • Loosely-timed coding style

Generic Payload

Generic payload attributes • Mutability • Command, address and data attributes • Byte enables • Streaming • Response status • Generic payload memory management

Non-blocking Transport Interface

Non-blocking transport interfaces • tlm_sync_enum • Forward, backward and return paths • Phases • AT timing model • Base protocol rules • Early completion • Pre-emption • AT timing annotation • Payload event queues • Approximately-timed coding style • Request and response exclusion rules • Back-pressure • AT interconnect

Convenience Sockets

Simple sockets • b/nb conversion • Tagged sockets • Multi-sockets • Coding interconnects and address translation • Hierarchical binding • Passthrough sockets

Direct Memory and Debug Transport Interface

Direct memory versus debug interfaces • Direct memory interface • DMI transaction type • DMI descriptor • Rules for granting and denying DMI • Generic payload DMI hint • Address translation for DMI transactions • Debug transport interface • Debug transport transaction type

Extensions

Kinds of extension · The extension mechanism • Generic payload extension methods • Extension base class • Low-level extension programming • deep_copy_from • update_extensions_from • Extension memory management • Auto extensions • Sticky extensions • Memory-manager-agnostic extensions • Instance-specific extensions

Endianness

TLM-2 endianness principles • Organisation of the data array • Mixed-endian systems • Address alignment issues • Part-word transfers • Width conversions • Endianness helper functions • Endianness conversion functions • Arithmetic mode • Byte order mode • Tuning for simulation speed

Protocol types

tlm_phase • Extended phases • Ignorable phases • Protocol types • tlm_base_protocol_types • Defining new traits classes • Guidelines for protocol creation • Bridges • Bus snooping using DMI extensions

Analysis ports

Analysis interface • Analysis port • Subscribers • When to deep-copy transaction objects

Other examples

Source code examples to use in your own projects • AT initiator types • AT target types • Permutations of the forward, backward and return paths • Full AT interconnect implementation • Implementing exclusion rules and transaction queuing • Mixed AT/LT components • Base protocol checker • Atomic operations and transaction locking using extensions