VLAB Co-Simulation

The VLAB™ Co-Simulation line of toolbox products offer solutions for constructing and operating complex simulations and co-simulations involving non-SystemC models and third-party tools.

VLAB™ offers a standards compliant, open and extensible simulation environment suitable for multi-language, multi-tool system simulations. A selection of toolboxes is provided to solve the problem of connecting, synchronising, and controlling heterogenious system simulations and virtual platforms involving non-SystemC models and third-party modelling tools.

The VLAB Co-Simulation functionality is built to support a variety of simulation architectures to address the broadest range of use case requirements. Each tool or simulator runs as a separate process, while the complete simulation may span multiple simulation hosts and multiple host operating systems. Host compiled target software is supported in addition to the more traditional option of running target software on a core model. Any number of models in any of the supported third party tools can be utilised in addition to the SystemC based subsystem running in VLAB.

The General Co-Simulation Toolbox™ offers the baseline user programmable co-simulation functionality that allows VLAB users to connect their VLAB simulations to any commercial or in-house simulation and modelling tool or technology. Once you have partitioned the desired simulation configuration based on model availability (for example, RTL, AMS, ESL, or higher-level or lower level model), the toolbox provides APIs that can be used by the user to implement the required connectivity, synchronisation and control between the heterogenious components of the simulation.

The HDL/RTL Co-Simulation Toolbox™ offers a solution for co-simulations involving VLAB and models described via a hardware description language (HDL) such as Verilog. Creation of the required setup is done automatically based on a description of the model interfaces involved in the co-sumlation.

The MATLAB/Simulink Co-Simulation Toolbox™ offers a solution for co-simulations involving VLAB and MATLAB/Simulink models. The toolbox facilitates the construction of the co-simulation setup based on a connectivity description provided by the user. An S-Function on the Simulink end, and a SystemC module on the VLAB end, are automatically created and built by the toolbox to encompass the communication, syncronisation, and co-ordination of the combined simulation environment. When additional tools, such as target software debugger, are also present in the co-simulation, the user can conveniently pause the simulation and inspect or modify current state in any of the connected tools.