Software brings virtual prototyping to peripherals

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 1, 2005

Peripheral Device Builder (PDB) is the latest addition to the line of powerful virtual system prototyping tools from Vast Systems Technology Corp.

Peripheral Device Builder (PDB) is the latest addition to the line of powerful virtual system prototyping tools from Vast Systems Technology Corp.

PDB enables Vast users to quickly develop peripheral devices such as interrupt controllers, DMA Vast engines, timers, clocks, memory controllers and many others.

Vast's customers use Comet and Meteor tools, virtual processor and bus models to create virtual system prototypes in software that are high performance and functionally- and timing-accurate.

Each of these virtual systems has many peripheral devices that need to be modelled.

PDB complements Vast's Platform Constructor Tool (PCT) and enables customers to build peripheral devices and then rapidly integrate them directly into platforms.

"Data from our early adopters indicate that the time to create a peripheral model can be cut by as much as 75% using peripheral device builder".

"PDB with PCT form a very powerful design capability", said Vast Founder and CTO, Graham Hellestrand.

Peripheral Device Builder provides a common code base for Vast-generated peripheral models and enables users to create models from a high level behavioural description.

The process has three main steps.

First, users specify the device in terms of its external interfaces (ports), registers, and functions invoked by external or internal actions.

They next generate the model from the device specification, and then contribute the behavioural code to model, if required.

"Many of our users rely on Vast to create their entire virtual system for them".

"We model the core processor, the buses and bus bridges and the peripherals, giving the user a turnkey system that runs at hardware speeds and is cycle accurate".

"However, some of our users want to control more of the modelling themselves".

"In response to this need, we have created a class of what we call 'constructor' tools".

"Peripheral Device Builder is the latest in a number of tools planned to give users this flexibility", commented Alain Labat, Vast CEO.

Peripheral Device Builder, currently in use by early adopters, will be available for general release from 31st March 2005, with one-year time-based, node-locked pricing of $25,000.