What is SoCLib

• SoCLib is an open platform for virtual prototyping of multi-processors system on chip (MP-SoC).
• The project started as an ANR-founded project. It is now maintained at ​Lip6

• The core of the platform is a library of SystemC simulation models for virtual components (IP cores)
• The main concern is true interoperability between the SoCLib IP cores
• All simulation models are written in SystemC, and can be simulated with the standard SystemC simulation environment.
• Two types of models are available for each IP-core:
  • CABA (Cycle Accurate / Bit Accurate),
  • TLM-DT (Transaction Level Modeling with Distributed Time)
• All simulation models and most associated tools are distributed as free software.

Using SoCLib

SoCLib Components

• SoCLib Components General Index : documentation about the available hardware components (IP cores)

Installation

• If you want to try SoCLib without going through the installation process, the ​SoCLib Virtual machine appliance may help you !
• Installation Notes : how to install the SoCLib platform on your computer
• Frequently asked questions is useful when things goes wrong

Documentation

• SoCLib Components Index
• Tools dedicated documentation
• soclib-cc command line tool help
• metadata (`.sd`) file format
• configuration file format
• description of the build process
• Usage of Soclib-cc with modelsim for mixed SystemC / VHDL cosimulation

Projects using SoCLib

• ​TSAR, Tera-Scale Architecture: a scalable, shared-memory, coherent MP2-SoC

Software support

Embedded Os support

SoCLib platforms are able to run several operating systems:

• DNA/OS : DNA/OS is a micro-kernel for MPSoCs. It supersedes MutekA, and still provides the POSIX thread API.
• ​MutekH : Exo-kernel based OS for classical and heterogeneous MPSoCs with POSIX threads support
• ​NetBSD : Highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system
• ​eCos : An open source, royalty-free, real-time operating system intended for embedded applications.
• ​RTEMS : Real-Time Operating System for Multiprocessor Systems

SoCLib Tools

Various tools comes along with SoCLib to ease research and development:

• DSX : Design Space Exploration tool
• SystemCASS : Fast SystemC simulation kernel
• SoCView : Interactive simulation environment for debug and instrumentation
• GdbServer : A GDB server for multi-processor architectures
• MemoryChecker : A memory access error checker similar to valgrind.
• GAUT : A high-level synthesis tool allowing to generate automatically systemC CABA and TLM-T files.

Middleware

• MWMR : Hardware / Software communication middleware

Tutorials

• ​DSX tutorial: Motion-JPEG, MWMR, MutekH, DSX, Design-space exploration
• DNA Motion-JPEG and OS tutorial

Development

Writing and design guides

• General SoCLib Rules : general rules regarding the SoCLib components.
• Processor Modeling : a general method to write generic processor models.
• CABA Writing Rules : rules to write SystemC CABA simulation models.
• TLM-DT Writing Rules : rules to write SystemC TLM-DT simulation models.
• Critères Pour Plate-Forme TLM-T : criteria defined for writing TLM-T simulation models.
• CABA/TLM-DT Transactors : general principles

• Adding new components to the library : the rules to follow to add a new IP core to the library.
• Vci Protocol : VCI protocol considerations in SoCLib

SoCLib Resources

Publications

See Papers And Publications.

Mailing list

The dev@… Mailing list is public and targets general discussion about SoCLib component development.

To join the list, either

• send an email to dev-subscribe@soclib.fr;
• see http://www.soclib.fr/wws/info/dev.