IEEE Ratifies SystemC 2.1 Standard for System-Level Chip Design; IEEE(R) 1666 Allows Faster System-on-Chip Design, Intellectual Property Exchange

--The IEEE has approved a new electronic design standard for the SystemC 2.1 language. The standard, IEEE 1666(TM), "Standard SystemC Language Reference Manual," addresses the increasing complexity of system-on-chip (SoC) design at the systems level, where the most substantial performance and productivity gains in semiconductors can be made.

IEEE 1666, the definitive description of the SystemC 2.1 design language, broadens hardware and software modeling capabilities to higher levels of abstraction. It lets engineers architect entire systems from the start, which speeds design, and allows for the sharing and reuse of intellectual property (IP).

"IEEE 1666 was developed rapidly within the IEEE Corporate Standard Program in less than 8 months, a significant achievement in the evolution of a standard," said Chuck Adams, chair of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Corporate Advisory Group (CAG). "I want to thank the Open SystemC Initiative and its working groups for delivering a high-quality specification earlier this year. Their outstanding technical contribution and cooperation with the IEEE P1666 Working Group made the standards process very efficient and has led to a clearly defined, system-level design standard."

In addition to spanning design and verification from concept to implementation in hardware and software, the new standard also provides an interoperable modeling platform for developing and exchanging fast system-level C++ models. It also forms a bridge between architectural design and register-transfer-level (RTL) implementation, providing a platform for the creation of interoperable tools in a rich design environment.

"As we approach chip features at 65 nm or less, the need for high-level design that addresses both hardware and software together is a driving force in realizing complex SoCs," said Victor Berman, chair of the P1666 Working Group at IEEE and director of Language Standards at Cadence Design Systems, Inc. "The sheer complexity of today's SoCs and the significant rise in the demand for IP reuse has made the move to high-level system design a necessity. The IEEE 1666 SystemC standard meets this need.

"The standard arms engineers with a powerful integrated platform to tackle design, simulation, verification and architectural modeling challenges. By letting users develop SoC virtual prototypes efficiently to assist architecture analysis and early software development, it should reduce the risk of design error. It also gives designers a work flow that extends from the system-level to RTL and offers the significant advantage of industry-wide IP exchange and reuse."

IEEE 1666 was sponsored by the Design Automation Standards Committee within the IEEE Computer Society and by the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group. This standard was created within the IEEE-SA Corporate Standards Program by the entity-based P1666 Working Group, in which each member company had one vote on the standard and a consensus was needed for adoption. The working group contained organizations that use, produce and have a general interest in SystemC.

About SystemC and OSCI

The Open SystemC(TM) Initiative is an independent, not-for-profit association composed of a broad range of organizations dedicated to supporting and advancing SystemC as an open industry standard for system-level modeling, design and verification. SystemC is a design and verification language built in C++ that spans from concept to implementation in hardware and software.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures based on current scientific consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed standards and more than 400 standards in development. For information on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.

About the IEEE

The IEEE has more than 375,000 members in approximately 150 countries. Through its members, the organization is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering, computing and control technology fields. This nonprofit organization also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.