VirtualSystemC

VirtualSystemC is a hardware description and verification language that extends the SystemC standard. It provides advanced features for modeling complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs and their software components. VirtualSystemC aims to bridge the gap between hardware and software development by allowing for early software development and co-verification on a virtual platform. This approach enables designers to execute software on a pre-silicon virtual prototype of the hardware, facilitating earlier bug detection and reducing overall development time.

Key aspects of VirtualSystemC include its support for high-level modeling constructs, allowing for faster simulation compared to traditional RTL simulators. It enables the creation of detailed virtual platforms that accurately represent the target hardware architecture, including processors, memory, and peripherals. This allows software engineers to develop and test their applications in parallel with hardware design. The language also emphasizes abstraction, enabling designers to focus on system-level functionality rather than low-level implementation details during the early stages of development. VirtualSystemC is often used in conjunction with traditional HDL flows, allowing for a phased approach to verification.