In this presentation, we will get you started on using VisualSim Architect to conduct performance analysis, power measurement and functional validation. You will learn advanced concepts of system modeling and how to apply VisualSim Architect for a variety of applications. Highlights include the application for both System-on-Chip and Large Systems including Designing memory interfaces using DDR3 and LPDDR3. VisualSim Architect is used by systems and semiconductor companies to validate and analyze the specification of the product. The environment offers an easy-to-use methodology, huge library of technology components, extremely fast simulator and a huge reports list.

1. How to create innovative architecture using
VisualSim?
Date: March - 31 - 2016
Host: Ranjith K R
Application Engineer
Mirabilis Design Inc.
Email: radiga@mirabilisdesign.com

2. Logistics of the Webinar
To ask a question, click on Arrow to the left
of Chat and type the question. Folks are
2
of Chat and type the question. Folks are
standing by to answer your questions.
There will also be a time at the end for Q&A

3. Purpose of this Webinar
• Importance of System level Modeling and Simulation
• Exploration of Complex Electronic systems with VisualSim
– Performance and Power
– Resource selection
– Bottleneck analysis– Bottleneck analysis
• Modeling Libraries and accuracy

4. Background on Mirabilis Design
• Provider of system-level modeling, simulation, analysis and
exploration software
• Supports systems, semiconductor and embedded software
• VisualSim- Modeling and simulation environment
• Based in Silicon Valley with experts in system modeling, power• Based in Silicon Valley with experts in system modeling, power
measurements and architectures
• Largest source of system modeling IP with embedded timing
and power
4
Select the “Right” configuration to match customer request

5. About VisualSim
• Graphical and hierarchical
modeling
• Large library of stochastic
and cycle-accurate
components and IP blocks
Architecture
Exploration
Performance
Analysis
ApplicationHardware
components and IP blocks
with embedded timing and
power
• Library blocks are used to
assemble hardware,
software, network, traffic,
reports and use-cases
5
Power
Analysis
HW-SW
Partitioning
InterfacesRTOS
Validate and optimize your design quickly and accurately

6. Motivation for Analyze and Validate with VisualSim
I/OCPU1
task1 task2 task3 task4
Contention
Complex behavior
- input stream
- data dependent behavior
DSPCPU2
Contention
- limited resources
- scheduling/arbitration
Interference of multiple
applications
- limited resources
- scheduling/arbitration
- anomalies

7. Unpredictable System behavior
Workload – 1
Workload – 2
Problem with
HW/SW???
7

8. Early Design Explorations to get Decisions right! –
Modeling and Simulation
• Modeling complete Electronic system
– Hardware, Operating System, applications
• Start Exploring your System within Weeks
– Bottleneck Analysis, Performance and Power Analysis– Bottleneck Analysis, Performance and Power Analysis
– Conduct “What-if” analysis
• System sizing
– Hardware-Software Partitioning
– Evaluate Dynamic behavior
• Fault-Injection
8

9. Exploring System Architecture with VisualSim
Architecture Model
Behavior Flow
Spreadsheet

10. Modeling Hardware Blocks
• Large library of pre-configured parameterized hardware
blocks
• RegEx functions and scripting language to create
custom/proprietary blocks
• All blocks have timing and power information embedded• All blocks have timing and power information embedded
• Pre-defined statistics available
• Multi-clock domains across the entire system
• Define components as statistical or cycle-accurate
Largest, fully open IP library and rapid custom IP generator

11. SoC Modeling Kit
• Communication
– AMBA – AHB, APB, AXI
– Frame work for Modeling Custom Bus Technologies
• Memory
– SDR, DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, QDR,
– LPDDR, LPDDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR4
– NVMe, Memory Controller
• Storage
– Flash, SSD, Disk Drive
• Interfaces
– Gigabit Ethernet, RapidIO, PCIe, Switched Ethernet

12. Modeling Software Tasks
• As a Flow Diagram
– Delay with conditions
• As a detailed software description
– Flow diagram
– Read data, write data– Read data, write data
– Processing time, request for resources
• Software Instruction
– Instruction trace from an existing system
– Synthetic trace for a new or existing system
Largest variety of software modeling and direct software usage

13. Power Modeling with VisualSim
Function 1
Function 2
Block Functional Diagram
Function N
.
.
.
Block Power Mode Diagram

14. Power Management State Machine

15. Multimedia SoC Platform Exploration
Requirements:
1. Process 13K Macro Blocks
2. Less than 1 W of Power
3. Perform HW-SW Partitioning
Explorations:Explorations:
1. HW-SW Partitioning
2. Power Management
3. Parameters for Processor,
Memory and Accelerators
Analysis:
1. Performance
2. Power

16. VisualSim Model
Application Behavior Description
Hardware Architecture

17. Analysis and Results
• Common Statistics for all devices
– End-to-end latency and Task Delay
– Throughput (MIPS or MB/s), Utilization (%), Task Delay
– Minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation
• Processor• Processor
– Individual statistics for Internal Caches, Execution Units,
registers, Pipeline
– Flush Time, Stall (%), Thread swaps and Context switching
– Detailed pipeline activity
• Cache
– Hit-miss Ratio

18. System Model Accuracy
• Development of highly optimized architecture for a 16-core Tensilica-
based Network Processor.
– Identified that mesh bus topology doesn’t meet performance requirements.
– Validated network ASIC against the industry benchmark.
– Development time: 3 man-months
• LPDDR-2 based wireless system• LPDDR-2 based wireless system
– All RAS, RP, RCD, Read and Write signals for all Banks matched with JEDEC and
RTL at every clock cycle
– Development time: 2.5 man-months
• Full Multimedia SoC
– Matched read and write latency with detailed model
– Development time: 3 weeks
Abstract system model can be AS Accurate as detailed models

19. Modeling Libraries
Traffic (100)
Distribution and Sequence
Trace file input
Instruction profiler
Reports (2000)
Latency, Throughput,
Utilization
Ave and peak power
SoC
AMBA (AHB/ APB/ AXI)
CoreConnect- PLB & OPB
NoC, Virtual Channel
Memory Controller
SDR, DDR, DDR2, DDR3
QDR, RDRAM
LPDDR, LPDDR2
Board-Level
VME- Parallel & Daisy
PCI/PCI-X/PCI-Express
SPI 3.0
Rapid IO
1553B
FlexRay
CAN
Processors
•ARM
•PowerPC- Freescale and IBM
•Intel and AMD
•TI
•MIPS
•Tensilica
•Renesas SH
•
Ave and peak power
Custom generator
LPDDR, LPDDR2
AFDX
TTEthernet
•
•Marvel
Resources
Time & quantity resources
Assignment language
Custom development script
600 RegEx functions
Storage
Flash
Disk
Memory Controller (Fixed,
Round-Robin, Priority)
Multi-Port Multi-Channel
Controller
Networking
Switched Ethernet
Resilient Packet Ring
RP3
Wireless LAN 802.11
Bluetooth
Spacewire
AVB
Fibre Channel
FireWire
Xilinx FPGA
Hard & Soft IP
Virtex
Spartan
Processors, Memory, Bus
DMA, FSL, APU and MPMC-2
Zynq 7000

20. Conclusion
• Start Exploring your System within Weeks
• Simulation of Dynamic behavior of System
Components for accurate Power and Performance
valuesvalues
• Validate System Architecture against current and
future requirements

21. How to create innovative architecture using
VisualSim?
Visit us at the
Booth 1103
Date: March - 31 - 2016
Host: Ranjith K R
Application Engineer
Mirabilis Design Inc.
Email: radiga@mirabilisdesign.com
April 11-14, 2016 · Colorado Springs, Colorado USA
Booth 1103

22. Backup Slides

23. VisualSim Accuracy (Performance-level)
• Deficit RR-based Router
– (Simulated vs. expected)
– 100% for throughput, latency & algorithm
– Input and output rates matched
• MPEG Encoder on TI DSP
CONFIDENTIAL
• MPEG Encoder on TI DSP
– Customer Feedback
– 100% matched DSP utilization
– 98% of time for end-to-end latency

24. VisualSim Bus Accuracy (Architecture-Level)
Burst 64
Data 256
Actual VisualSim Accuracy
Latency 2.16 us 1.97 us 91.29%
Throughput 107 MBps 111.3 MBps 95.92%PCI Throughput 107 MBps 111.3 MBps 95.92%PCI
Burst 32
Data 128
Actual VisualSim Accuracy
Latency 1.20 us 1.06 us 88.33%
Throughput 96 MBps 102 MBps 93.75%