Bridging software and hardware to accelerate SoC validation

Brad Quinton, Tektronix
EETimes (2/15/2012 12:43 PM EST)

As the complexity of systems-on-chip (SoCs) continues to increase, it is no longer possible to ignore the challenges caused by the convergence of software and hardware development. These highly functional systems now include a complex mix of software, firmware, embedded processors, GPUs, memory controllers, and other high-speed peripherals. This increased functional integration, combined with faster internal clock speeds and complex, high-speed I/O, means that delivering a functional and fully validated system is harder than ever.

Traditionally, software validation and debug and hardware validation and debug have been separate worlds. Often, software and hardware teams work in isolation, with the former concentrating on software execution within the context of the programming model, and the latter debugging within the hardware development framework, where clock-cycle accuracy, parallel operation and the relationship of debug data back to the original design is key. In theory, fully debugged software and hardware should work flawlessly together. But in the real world that is rarely the case, a fact that often leads to critical cost increases and time-to-market delays.

To deliver increased integration within a reasonable cost and time, the industry must transition to a new approach – design for visibility. Said another way, engineers must design, upfront, the ability to deliver a full system view if we are going to be able to continue to validate and debug these systems effectively.  The key is to be able to understand causal relationships between behaviors that span hardware and software domains. This article describes an approach to debugging an SoC using embedded instruments, and shows how the integration of hardware and software debug views can lead to faster and more efficient debug of the entire system.

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