Leveraging Transaction-Level Models in an SoC Design Flow *

This chapter introduces the types of presilicon platforms in use and their benefits in the flow. It discusses the key factors required to ensure the successful development and reuse of such platforms. The chapter focuses on the importance of modeling standards in system-level design and identifies missing pieces that would further increase model interoperability and facilitate platform integration. It summarizes the main emerging needs identified from intensive usage of the virtual platforms in product groups: representation of clock trees, power supplies, and reset, software-in-the-loop early power estimates and capture of system synchronization aspects. The chapter describes the different transactional platforms exploited by the various categories of users during some steps. The simplest type of transaction-level platform contains only transaction-level models without using other abstraction levels. These platforms are typically used for software development activities such as firmware, OS kernel porting and drivers, middleware, and some hardware-related application features.