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SystemC: Hardware Modelling Library Overview

SystemC is a free library for C++ for hardware SoC modelling. »Download from www.accelera.org

SystemC was developed over the last fifteen years with three major releases. Also of significance is the TLM coding style 1.0 and sub-library, TLM 2.0.

It includes (at least):

Greaves developed the TLM_POWER3 add-on library for power modelling.

Originally aimed as an RTL replacement, for low-level hardware modelling.

Now being used for high-level (esp. transactional) modelling for architectural exploration.

Also sometimes used as an implementation language with its own synthesis tools. »SystemC Synthesis

Problem: hardware engineers are not C++ experts but they can be faced with confusing C++ error messages.

Benefit: General-purpose behavioural C code, including application code and device drivers, can all be modelled in a common language.


3: (C) 2008-16, DJ Greaves, University of Cambridge, Computer Laboratory.