SOLUTIONS

Embedded Software Development

METeor™ — Virtual System Prototypes Provide Unparalleled Visibility

Using VaST's embedded software development environment, METeor, and the VaST virtual system prototype software, development can begin even before the detailed hardware design has been finalized. Porting of operating systems and communication stacks, together with the development of both driver and application code, can be overlapped with hardware design and development. Concurrent design and development means substantially reduced product cycle times and time-to-market for new and iterated products.

The Virtual System Prototype Revolution

A VaST virtual system prototype represents a revolutionary change for target software development — it removes the need to develop code on host workstations and test by downloading to target single- board computers for execution and debugging. Software is developed on a virtual prototype of the target system rather than on a host system. Code is then executed and debugged as it is written — not months later when the silicon is available.

The VaST virtual system prototype simulates fast enough that it is no longer necessary to use either host-based or hardware-based (ICE, emulation or prototype) development approaches. Since the entire simulation is cycle-accurate, it can be used to develop both software with strict real-time requirements and software that interacts intimately with the hardware. A VaST virtual prototype is a PC-based surrogate for the actual chip or system into which the software will eventually be integrated.

Building and using VaST virtual system prototypes does not require major changes to a software development methodology. Because a VaST virtual system prototype executes the identical binary code used on the real hardware the choices of compiler and source-code control software are not restricted. Even real-time operating systems available only in binary form will run correctly. Software tools are the standard cross-development C/C++ compilers together with debuggers suited to the target processor(s).

VaST's visualization tool, Metrix, provides visibility into the internals of the virtual system prototype, making debugging much easier. Observability, coupled with the ability to walk through and traverse the hardware/software interface, using break-pointing and single-stepping, provides a potent verification and debugging environment. Models can contain extensive error checking, simulation time can be frozen, even in a multi-processor system, since all processors will stop when one hits a breakpoint or is single-stepped. These unique advantages of the virtual system prototype approach translate directly into higher productivity and higher quality.

VaST's virtual processor modeling technology supports the development of an operating system (OS) and its device drivers within a target system, as well as porting existing OSes to target systems. The observability that VaST's technology brings to the hardware/software design process means that OS development and OS porting cycles are significantly shortened. Booting a real-time OS takes seconds to execute on a VaST high-performance virtual processor model as opposed to hours on an instruction set simulator (ISS).

Learn Why VaST Technology Is Unique

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