Accelerating early automotive software development and test

VDKs are software development kits using a virtual prototype as the embedded target enabling automotive engineers to design Infineon TriCore-based electronic control units (ECUs). The new fast timed model for TriCore 1.6.2 delivers the speed and accuracy required to accelerate software development and test of automotive real time control applications.

Synopsys has extensively validated the model for functional quality, timing accuracy and high speed. In addition, integration with Lauterbach TRACE32 debugger and PLS Universal Debug Engine (UDE) provides designers with a quick and efficient debugging environment. A microcontroller virtual prototype combining the new core model and Infineon peripheral models is available for use with Synopsys VDKs. The solution enables software developers to start development early, accelerate system integration, expand fault testing for safety evaluation and automate regression testing.

"Our longstanding collaboration with Synopsys on the development of VDKs for the AURIX microcontroller family enables our mutual customers to start early software development and testing,” said Dr. Joerg Schepers, Senior Director, Powertrain Microcontrollers at Infineon. “The availability of the fast timed TriCore 1.6.2 model, which has been extensively validated for functional quality, timing accuracy and high speed, helps accelerate the development of real time embedded control applications and automotive systems using the AURIX product family of Infineon.”

The Synopsys fast timed model for Infineon’s newest TriCore 1.6.2 architecture delivers functional quality, timing accuracy and speed. Synopsys has validated the model, passing 100% of the self-checking tests and reaching more than 90% timing accuracy, while delivering high simulation speed in the context of a single core and multi-core microcontroller virtual prototypes.

“Synopsys VDKs integrate the latest Infineon TriCore architecture with our Lauterbach TRACE32 debugger,” said Norbert Weiss, International Sales and Marketing Manager at Lauterbach. “The availability of an integrated software development solution, consisting of a virtual prototype and software debugger, enables automotive software and system developers to efficiently perform concurrent debugging of multi-core microcontroller designs well before hardware availability.”

“With the increasing complexity of automotive systems and the requirement for functional safety, development teams must start software development and test earlier,” said John Koeter, Vice President of Marketing for IP and Prototyping at Synopsys. “Our continued work with Infineon to deliver models for their newest architecture with the highest level of quality and timing enables automotive tier 1 companies and OEMs to start software development independent of hardware availability.”