Combinatorial Dependencies in Transaction Level Models

Abstract

Transaction-level modeling (TLM) allows for the design of virtual prototypes, providing considerably faster simulation speed than RTL models. But combinatorial dependencies are often inexactly modeled in terms of cycle accuracy, leading to imprecise simulation results. If, however, precise results are desired, additional coding and simulation effort is required. As a result, simulation performance drops down. This paper surveys the existing techniques to model combinatorial dependencies in TLM and presents a novel approach based on synchronization layers. Experimental results with SystemC prove our technique to enable higher simulation speed than the surveyed approaches, without inheriting their disadvantages.