FMI Meets SystemC: A Framework for Cross-Tool Virtual Prototyping

Abstract

As systems become more complex, the demand for thoroughtesting and virtual prototyping grows. To simulate wholesystems, multiple tools are usually needed to coverdifferent parts. These parts include the hardware of asystem and the environment the system interacts with. TheFunctional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard forco-simulation can be used to connect those tools.The control part of modern systems is usually a computingunit, such as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) or MicrocontrollerUnit (MCU), which executes software from a connected memoryand interacts with peripherals. To develop the softwarewithout requiring access to the physical hardware,full-system simulators, so-called Virtual Platforms (VPs),are commonly used. The industry standard framework for VPdevelopment is SystemC TLM. SystemC provides interfaces andconcepts that enable modular design and model exchange.However, SystemC lacks native FMI support which limits theintegration into broader co-simulation environments.This paper presents a novel framework to control andinteract with SystemC-based VPs using the FMI. We present acase study showing how a simulated temperature sensor in aSystemC simulation can obtain temperature values from anexternal tool via FMI. This approach allows the unmodifiedtarget software to run on the VP and receive realisticenvironmental input data such as temperature, velocity, oracceleration values from other tools. Thereby, extensivesoftware testing and verification is enabled. By havingtests ready and the software pre-tested using a VP once thephysical hardware is available, certifications like ISO26262 can be done earlier.