Virtual Prototyping: Use Cases & Benefits

Synopsys Virtual Prototyping can be used throughout the electronic products development from specification to post-production.

Software-Driven Verification

Using Synopsys Virtual Prototypes, hardware verification teams create system-level tests. These tests are used to validate the RTL using a hybrid co-simulation environment including the hardware unit under test and the virtual prototype as the testbench. As a result, the hardware can be verified more efficiently in the context of the complete system (hardware and software co-verification).

Software Development, Integration and Test

For firmware, device drivers and operating systems to stand alone, networked or as distributed applications, developers need to ensure that their device software is functionally correct and optimized for performance, power consumption and memory utilization. Synopsys Virtual Prototyping delivers a powerful environment used to develop and execute tests as well as debug and analyze the results. It enables a wide range of embedded software development activities such as device driver development and operating system porting, non-intrusive multicore software debugging, application performance optimization, software centric power analysis, fault injection testing and QA testbench replacement.

Synopsys' hybrid prototyping solution integrates Virtualizer with a Synopsys HAPS FPGA-based ASIC prototyping system. The combination provides several benefits to the virtual prototype user including reduced modeling effort by integrating existing RTL blocks and more accurate prototypes that include high-fidelity real-world I/Os.

Supply Chain Enablement

While developing electronics products, communication between suppliers and customers is essential to ensure the optimum product development. Synopsys Virtual Prototypes are used to efficiently communicate specification, enable concurrent/joint hardware and embedded software development, improve go-to-market strategies and facilitate support activities such as training, technical support and long-term product maintenance.

Conclusion

Synopsys Virtual Prototyping is a key tool in electronic product development. It assists in creating system-level tests for hardware verification and provides an environment for software development, debugging, and analysis. Its integration with Synopsys HAPS FPGA-based ASIC prototyping system optimizes modeling and prototype accuracy. Additionally, it enhances supply chain communication, concurrent development, and support activities.