Sonics Plus Partners Equals Complete ESL Strategy

- Sonics Inc., a premier supplier of system-on-chip (SoC) SMART Interconnect solutions, today announced the general availability of SonicsStudio version 4.6, which adds significant capabilities to support ESL design using the SystemC language. This enhanced version of SonicsStudio is a key component of a complete ESL strategy, which Sonics and its partners have developed to ensure more productive and efficient use of SystemC modeling activities.

Key enhancements in SonicsStudio 4.6 include the availability of "SystemC-only" versions of customer configured SMART Interconnects for integration into partner ESL environments, generation of "black box" Sonics SystemC models for software developers, support for automated adaptation between different transaction layer modeling (TLM) abstractions, and methodology improvements to ensure cycle accuracy of Sonics' SystemC models.

Through strategic partnerships with leading ESL tool suppliers and the release of this significantly enhanced SonicsStudio, Sonics now provides chip architects the ability to define and model their SoC architecture using data flow models simulated using a range of supported RTL and SystemC simulators in a variety of environments. The automation capabilities of SonicsStudio and Sonics' ESL partner environments speeds initial convergence upon an SoC architecture and provides flexibility for late changes arising from new market requirements. The ability to generate both RTL code with a predictable path to implementation and abstracted SystemC models for early software development from the same database significantly reduces the architect's time and effort to maintain the required views of the design while improving their consistency. Software developers can now rely on stable data flow models to begin their development efforts using SystemC models much earlier in the chip design cycle.

"Having an early executable blueprint for the chip's behavior, available at multiple abstraction layers, provides the synergy between software and hardware teams that result in overall project efficiency gains," said Drew Wingard, CTO, Sonics Inc. "SonicsStudio delivers the key data flow models chip architects need as well as a framework for software and hardware engineering teams to seamlessly collaborate on any given SoC project. This along with the capabilities of our ESL partners means critical architecture trade-offs can be modeled and resolved before the chip implementation phase."

About Sonics

Sonics Inc. is a premier supplier of SMART Interconnect solutions that deliver high SoC design predictability and increased design efficiency. Major semiconductor and systems companies including Broadcom, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Toshiba have applied Sonics' SMART Interconnect solutions in leading products in the wireless, digital multimedia and communications markets. Sonics is a privately-held company funded by Cadence Design Systems, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Ventures and venture capital firms Investar Capital, Smart Technology Ventures, TL Ventures, Easton Hunt Capital, JAFCO Ventures, and H&Q Asia-Pacific. For more information, see www.sonicsinc.com