Synopsys gathers Virtio, VaST, CoWare into Virtualizer

Synopsys today announced release of the Virtualizer toolset: a virtual system prototyping platform that brings together tools thecompany acquired from Virtio (virtual prototyping for software development),VaST (subsystem models), and CoWare (hardware-software coverification).

The announcement is more than a simple rebranding of theacquired product lines, according to Director of Product Marketing MarcSerughetti. Virtualizer includes the previous tools, but adds new models,assembles the capabilities into a single OSCI TLM 2.0-based environment, andprovides links into Synopsys's HAPS hardware prototyping system, instruction-set-levelprocessor simulators, and analysis tools, including some third-party softwaredebug and analysis products.

The concept, Serughetti said, is to create an environmentin which a design team can assemble a virtual system prototype, includingmodels at different levels of abstraction. Then designers can create whateverviews of the system they need-behavioral, transaction-level, instruction-level,RT-level, or a mixture-to perform a simulation or analysis run.

Synopsys has added tools for model creation and debug,and also application-specific reference designs. Both are intended to getvirtual system prototypes up and running quickly. There are also VirtualizerDevelopment Kits: pre-configured subsets of the full Virtulaizer package forspecific tasks such as software development, SOC verification, or systemtesting.

The announcement leaves out a great many details, such aswhat models are available, descriptions of the model-builder/debugger andvarious analysis tools, the mechanism for linking models at different levels ofabstraction for simulation or-especially-analysis, and just how the user goesabout instrumenting and controlling such a multimode prototype. It appears thatthe system may be assembled on a TLM 2.0 backplane, but that is not explicitlystated in the product materials.

What is clear is that Synopsys is attempting to meet thedisparate needs of early software development and SOC architecture verificationin the chip-design world, the needs of software developers working in theLinux/Android world, and the needs of system prototyping teams in specificapplications such as automotive and aerospace, all from a single tool set.Given the tendency of tools to become application-specific as they move fromconception into actual use, this could be a challenging and resource-consumingeffort for the EDA giant. But clearly it is a move in concert with Cadence'sand Mentor's increasing emphasis on system, and especially software,development needs. Virtualizer and some of the Development Kits are availablenow.
Synopsys gathers Virtio, VaST, CoWare into Virtualizer