AXYS Design Releases v3.1 of MaxSim

The manufacturer says . . .

Murray Disman says . . .

AXYS Design Opens SystemC to Embedded Software The new MaxSim Developer Suite v3.1 unifies SystemC 2.0 with high-performance cycle-based simulation, processor model library, and software debuggers. PALO ALTO, Calif.--Nov. 18, 2002--AXYS Design Automation, Inc., the technology leader for multi-core System-on-a-Chip (SoC) simulation, debugging, and verification solutions, announced the availability of the new release v3.1 of the MaxSim Developer Suite that combines the performance of cycle-based C++ simulation at the transaction level with the flexibility of SystemC 2.0. This technology breakthrough unlocks the potential of SystemC by integrating it in one unified simulation engine with more than 20 processor models, debuggers, and platform components. Designers can use the MaxLib model library to develop and verify SystemC-based SoC designs with microcontroller and DSP families from ARM, MIPS, LSI Logic, Infineon, DSP Group, Improv Systems, and Adelante. "With the integration of the SystemC engine into the MaxSim simulation environment, there are no limits to the combination of SystemC 2.0 components, MaxLib processor simulators, and standard C++ models that can be used together," said Vojin Zivojnovic, President and CEO of AXYS Design Automation, Inc. "The new MaxSim unified simulation engine delivers best performance as it is avoiding the bottlenecks of traditional cosimulation approaches." Unparalleled Multi-Core System-Level Debugging and Usability With MaxSim v3.1, users can combine MaxSim cycle-accurate transaction-level multiprocessor platforms with SystemC 2.0 components, covering the complete SystemC 2.0 language definition as approved by the Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI). Existing SystemC 2.0 components can be imported into MaxSim, allowing unrestricted mix-and-match of sequential test benches, cycle-based multi-core systems, and discrete-event SystemC 2.0 hardware descriptions. MaxSim-generated models can be used with SystemC-2.0-compatible tools by generating SystemC-compliant source code. The addition of the SystemC 2.0 support is part of AXYS Design's commitment to enable tool-independent modeling, simulation, and proliferation of SoC platforms. MaxSim v3.1 also significantly eases SystemC component modeling through wizard-based component creation. In addition, it offers unparalleled multi-core debugging capabilities, allowing designers to debug software simultaneously on several cores in the system, combined with platform-system-level debugging capabilities, including conditional system-level breakpoints, memory, and register views. "We are delighted to see AXYS Design Automation join the growing number of companies supporting SystemC," said Stan Krolikoski, Chairman of Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI). "This proliferation of SystemC tools expands the choices that designers have as they more productively design and verify at the pre-implementation level." Enabling Design-Chain Interaction MaxSim Developer Suite 3.1 addresses the need for efficient model development and delivery between SoC developers and their users. SoC development teams use the MaxSim Developer Suite in the design space to develop, debug, and verify cycle-based multi-core systems at the transaction level. Embedded-software developers and verification engineers use standalone platforms exported from MaxSim for hardware-aware embedded software development and verification in the platform space. At significantly lower price and with more flexible access through quarterly time-based licenses, the MaxSim Platform Control Center allows platform configuration, platform simulation, and connection to embedded software debuggers such as ARM RealView, Mentor XRAY, and Tasking CrossView. In addition, MaxSim Platform Explorer enables system-level visibility and debugging within the platform. Pricing and Availability The release 3.1 of MaxSim Developer Suite and the accompanying platform tools are available to beta customers today; the production releases are scheduled to ship in December, 2002. Pricing starts at $12,000 per year for the MaxSim Developer Suite. Platform Explorer and Platform Control Center are available at flexible quarterly license fees starting at $2000 and $500 respectively. Supported platforms are Windows, Solaris, Linux, and HP-UX.

AXYS Design Automation, founded in 1997, traces its origins to a research group at the Aachen University of Technology. It describes itself as a provider of fast, accurate, and integrated processor and SoC (System-on-a-Chip) C/C++ modeling and simulation solutions for the development of high-software-content SoC devices. AXYS claims that its products provide a complete platform for modeling and programming multi-core SoCs that integrate multiple processors and DSPs with memories and peripherals. AXYS is providing tools and models to help system designers construct and evaluate virtual prototypes of designs. These cycle-accurate prototypes, described in C/C++ and now in SystemC, run up to 10,000 times faster than RTL simulators, according to the company. The applications areas being served by the company include virtual prototyping for multiprocessor SoC design, embedded software development, architecture exploration and development, and functional chip and system verification. The three software products provided are MaxSim Developer Suite, MaxCore DeveloperSuite, and MaxLib. The MaxSim Developer Suite contains MaxSim Designer, a block-diagram editor used to create SoC models; MaxSim Explorer, which simulates and analyzes SoC models; MaxSim Platform Control Center, which controls the simulation of the platforms; and MaxSim Platform Explorer, which allows system-level debugging. The MaxCore Developer Suite is a tool set for the generation of processor models and software development tools. MaxLib is AXYS Design's library of models for popular SoC components. MaxLib currently contains either cycle-accurate or instruction-accurate microcontroller and DSP models from ARM, Conexant, DSP Group, Infineon, LSI Logic, and MIPS. In addition, the library contains AMBA bus models and models of peripheral and interface components. This latest version of MaxSim has an integrated SystemC engine that allows users to run SystemC simulations and also to access AXYS's library of processor models and links to embedded-software tools. Version 3.1 permits the designer to combine the company's cycle-accurate multiprocessor platforms with SystemC elements such as test benches.

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