A framework for fast hardware-software co-simulation

We present a new hardware-software co-simulation framework enabling fast prototyping in system-on-chip designs. On the software side, the machine description language LISA allows the generation of bit-true models of programmable architectures on various levels-from instruction-set to phase accuracy. Based on these models, a complete tool-suite consisting of fast compiled processor simulator assembler, linker HLL-compiler as well as co-simulation interface can be generated automatically. On the hardware side, the SystemC simulation class library is employed and enhanced with our generic co-simulation interface that enables the coupling of hardware and software models specified at various levels of abstraction. Besides that, a hardware modeling strategy using abstract macro-cycle based C++ processes to increase hardware modeling efficiency and simulation speed is presented.