NetVP: A system-level NETwork Virtual Platform for network accelerator development

In this paper, we propose a Network Virtual Platform (NetVP) to develop and verify network accelerator like an IPsec processor. The NetVP provides on-line verification mechanism and is suitable for ESL top-down design flow, supporting developments of un-timed as well as timed models. System development using this NetVP is efficient and flexible since it allows the designer to explore design spaces such as the network bandwidth and system architecture easily.