{{research paper, date=February 2021 Semulation is a

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...

-related

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordssimulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...

and

emulation Emulation may refer to: *Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system :*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles *Gaussian process em ...

, signifying the process of controlling an emulation through a simulator.

Semulation in computer science

Digital hardware Digital electronics is a field of electronics involving the study of digital signals and the engineering of devices that use or produce them. This is in contrast to analog electronics and analog signals. Digital electronic circuits are usually ...

is described using

hardware description language In computer engineering, a hardware description language (HDL) is a specialized computer language used to describe the structure and behavior of electronic circuits, and most commonly, digital logic circuits. A hardware description language en ...

s (HDL) like

VHDL The VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) is a hardware description language (HDL) that can model the behavior and structure of digital systems at multiple levels of abstraction, ranging from the system level down to that of logic gate ...

Verilog Verilog, standardized as IEEE 1364, is a hardware description language (HDL) used to model electronic systems. It is most commonly used in the design and verification of digital circuits at the register-transfer level of abstraction. It is als ...

or System Verilog. These descriptions are simulated together with a problem-specific testbench. The initial

functional verification In electronic design automation, functional verification is the task of verifying that the logic design conforms to specification. Functional verification attempts to answer the question "Does this proposed design do what is intended?" This is a ...

of most IP designs is done via simulation at register transfer level (RTL) or gate level. In an event driven simulation method the code must be processed sequential by a CPU, because a normal computer is not able to process the implemented hardware parallel. This sequential approach leads to long simulation times especially in complex systems on chip (SoC) designs. After simulation the RTL description must be synthesized to fit in the final hardware (e.g. FPGA, ASIC). This step brings a lot of uncertainties because the real hardware is normally not as ideal as the simulation model. The differences between real world and simulation are a major reason why emulation is used in hardware design. Generally the simulation and emulation environment are two independent systems. Semulation is a symbiosis of both methods. In semulation one part of a hardware design is processed sequential in software (e.g. the testbench) while the other part is emulated. An example design flow for semulation is depicted in the following block chart: The database holds the design and testbench files and the information about the block whether it will be simulated or emulated. The left part shows the normal simulation path where the design files must be compiled for an HDL simulator. The right part of the state chart handles the flow for the emulation system. Design files for the FPGA must be synthesized to the appropriate target technology. A major point in semulation is the connection between the emulation system and the HDL simulator. The interface is necessary for the simulator to handle the connected hardware.

Advantages of Semulation

* Simulation acceleration: Simulating huge designs with an HDL simulator is a tedious task. When the designer transfers parts of the design to an emulation system and co-simulates them with the HDL simulation, the simulation run times can be decreased. * Using real hardware early in the design flow.

References

* D. Scheurer and S. Reichör
SEmulation: Turbocharging the FPGA Development Process
White Paper,

Altera Corporation Altera Corporation was a manufacturer of programmable logic devices (PLDs) headquartered in San Jose, California. It was founded in 1983 and acquired by Intel in 2015. The main product lines from Altera were the flagship Stratix series, mid-ran ...

External links

SEmulation Technology Combines ReConfigurable Computing-based Simulation and Emulation into a Single Platform for RTL Design Verification

SDC to Showcase SEmulation for FPGA Development at Embedded Masterclass

Semulation in EETimes
Electronic circuit verification