Verification partner supporting SoC designs

Virtual platforms offer advantages over hardware prototypes with early availability and flexibility. Software models of the key components in a processor platform are combined to form an executable sub-system. The models must have enough functionality to execute the code correctly, but retain a level of abstraction that provides the performance necessary for rigorous testing. 

Heterogeneous designs and many-core processor arrays are typical of the design structures in development for the next generation AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) designs.

With demanding workloads based on real-world datasets, a virtual platform approach allows the opportunity to fine-tune the hardware structure and software algorithms to find the optimum configuration.

Also in many IoT applications, a total system level design approach is required to model arrays of deployed nodes as digital twins. The use of virtual platforms permits a system wide view to configure and optimize all levels of the hardware and software. Working closely with system architects and developers, virtual platform development engineers provide the key bridge between the hardware and software teams in the early phase of a project, and become the essential reference for pre-tape-out hardware verification testing, and a more comprehensive source of software testing in production.

“Coontec provides flexible services to help and assist engineering projects, with services that can be customized as required to provide support, training and consultancy as well as expert resources for turnkey projects,” said Joon Pang, CEO of Coontec. “Using the OVP modeling infrastructure allows open-source models and virtual platforms that give customers options in managing projects with flexible combinations of internal and external teams.”

“When our research teams look at the next generation of designs for IoT, ML and AI, the use of the full application workload and real-world datasets is key to exploring architectural options with virtual platforms,” added Han Jin Cho, Executive Director, ETRI Korea. “The Imperas virtual platform based methodology, coupled with the services provided by the Coontec team, provides the Korean market with additional flexibility and capabilities with locally based and trusted expert resources.”

“As virtual platforms become more critical to our customers projects for system level architectural exploration, software development and hardware verification – the one limitation customers report is the availability of local expert consultancy services,” said Larry Lapides, Vice President of Sales at Imperas. “The Imperas leading commercial tools and open source models are now complemented with Coontec professional design services.”