Embedded Systems Design Europe - June/July 2008 - (Page 14)

cover feature Leveraging A hybrid approach to conﬁguring a virtual hardware platform enables developers to explore all facets of the system long before it’s built. virtual hardware BY BILL NEIFERT platforms for software T he increasing pressure on software-development schedules for embedded systems has driven many companies to adopt system prototyping strategies. Typically, these prototypes are built from real hardware either as a number of ﬁeld programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) on a custom-built board or a pre-built solution such as a hardware emulator. These hardware-based solutions suffer from a number of limitations, however. High cost, low debugability, and difﬁcult-to-replicate corner cases all combine to limit the overall value of a physical prototype. A new generation of prototypes is arriving to address these limitations and give software designers even earlier access to a development platform. Virtual hardware prototypes help pull software design earlier in the system schedule and cost less than their hardware equivalents. This article, the ﬁrst in a twopart series, will discuss the merits of various virtual prototyping approaches. The follow-up article will include a case study that walks you through a virtual prototype’s construction and use. Part 2 will appear on Embedded.com in June. A virtual prototype is exactly what its name describes: a prototype of a system that only exists virtually, or in this case, in software. A properly constructed virtual prototype can perform most of the same tasks as an actual system. It can boot an operating system and run the driver code and application software. Some virtual prototypes feature mockups of the physical device itself and allow design teams to press all of its virtual buttons. A good virtual prototype is an invaluable tool to explore all of the facets of the system long before it’s built. The virtual world is easier to control than the real world. Corner cases that can take hours to set up with physical hardware often can be constructed in minutes in a conﬁgurable software environment. Once the test scenario is established, it can be repeated to allow for the multiple debugging iterations necessary to identify 14 JUNE – JULY 2008 | embedded systems design europe | www.embedded.com/europe http://Embedded.com http://www.embedded.com/europe

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Embedded Systems Design Europe - June/July 2008

Embedded Systems Design Europe - June 2008 Contents Work in Progress to Define Compact PCI Plus Power.org Demonstrates New Tools Project Supports Multi-core System Programming Altium Links Electronic to Mechanical Design PLDs Look to Cut Power Budget and Costs Project to Provide Coverage Analysis Tool Microsoft Details Windows Embedded Update Cover Feature: Leveraging Virtual Hardware Platforms for Software Allocating Memory in MATLAB-to-C Code MDD & IDEs: Making the Twain Meet in Embedded System Designs Debugging Mixed Signal Designs for Infrequent & Random Events Why Open Source is the Natural Choice for High-security Systems Bringing the Benefits of Low Power CPUs to Modular Design New Products Advertising Contacts

Embedded Systems Design Europe - June/July 2008

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