Platform improvements allow complex IoT simulation

Additionally, the process for modeling, debugging, and model asset reuse has been further improved to deliver a simpler user experience. Other improvements provide additional capabilities enabling agile and automated testing with shorter feedback loops.

Simulation performance has been enhanced for tightly coupled multi-core and multiprocessor systems on multi-core hosts. Testing on parallel workloads shows performance increases of up to seven times when simulating an eight-core Linux symmetric multiprocessing target on an eight-core host. Coupled with its existing performance technologies, Simics can efficiently simulate ever more complex targets to deliver the benefits of simulation for any target system.

Simplified scripting interfaces and fault injection framework allow easier use of Simics in test automation environments. A checkpoint server allows easier management of checkpoints across teams. Users can share the system state of their simulations with others.

Immediate access to three quick-start platforms (Intel, ARM, and Power) allows every Simics user to enable early prototyping and tooling integration. Enhanced support for SystemC models with a SystemC library and improved debugging tools help teams get models up and running quickly.

IoT and intelligent systems are pushing the boundaries for developers, creating challenging demands such as increasingly complex designs, greater intelligence and connectivity, and tightened development schedules. As development timelines become tighter, IoT developers are turning to Agile practices, which require constant on-demand access to the system, more efficient and faster collaboration between teams, and higher levels of automation. 

“IoT is pushing the embedded community to re-evaluate the development lifecycle,” said Chris Rommel, Vice President for IoT and Embedded Technology, VDC Research. “The increasing scale and complexity of IoT systems are forcing developers to adapt. Agile practices are one of the methods more engineers are now using to address these process challenges and improve access, collaboration and overall development efficiencies across their teams.”

“The demands of creating IoT systems are necessitating new development processes. As innovation cycles become shorter, embedded developers must increasingly adopt Agile and continuous practices,” said Michel Genard, vice president and general manager of system simulation at Wind River. “Simics continues to open up new possibilities for Agile development and allows teams to accelerate their timelines, as well as successfully design and test IoT scenarios virtually impossible to replicate via traditional methods. We’re committed to constantly growing our capabilities and investigating new opportunities such as the cloud to offer innovative methods to bring our virtual environment technologies to wider audiences.”

Able to simulate nearly anything, from a single chip to systems of any size or complexity, Simics provides the access, automation, and collaboration required to implement Agile development practices and to continuously deliver better software, faster. By working from virtual models and eliminating the need for physical hardware (and its limitations) during development, simulation can accelerate development and transform how businesses operate. Developers can push automated testing much sooner in the development cycle, and perform both testing and debugging during design and prototyping phases. All team members can have unlimited access to virtual hardware, allowing improved ways of working and improved collaboration throughout the entire lifecycle. Ultimately, developers can dramatically reduce risks of shipping late, overrunning budget, and sacrificing quality.

Simics is part of the Wind River Helix portfolio of products enabling IoT advancements.