Mixed-Signal System Modeling and Simulation

Liliana Andrade

Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP* ,

TIMA, 38000 Grenoble, France
liliana.andrade@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

*
Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes
Introduction

Exynos 9 series 9820 [1] Accordo5 Automotive SoC [2]

• CPU, Quad Cortex-A55,

Dual Cortex-A75
• LTE Advanced Pro Modem
(256-QAM, ...)
• ISP, GPU, NPU, ...

• Dual Cortex-A7, GPU

◦ Designed for specific purposes • Video decoder, display
◦ Design requires extensive use of CAD tools controller
◦ Requires high level of expertise • Audio: DAC, ADC, DSP
◦ Complete validation is a challenge • Standard connectivity
interfaces

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Modeling and Simulation Challenges

• Separated or unified simulation

• Complete system validation

◦ Selection of suitable design environments

◦ Compatibility between system parts and interfaces

◦ Ensuring stability in systems including bidirectional

interactions

◦ Software system validation

• Speed up mixed-signal system validation

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Modeling and Simulation Alternatives (I)

Matlab/Simulink [3]
HDL Co-Simulation Block
• Bringing the gap in mixed modeling/simulation using
co-simulation
◦ HDL simulation for digital parts (e.g. Mentor Graphics
ModelSim)
◦ Circuit simulation for analog parts (e.g. Cadence
Virtuoso AMS Designer)
Simscape Block Libraries
• Simulation of multi-domain physical systems
(Simscape)
• Does not focus on software validation
• Non-open source

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Modeling and Simulation Alternatives (II)

Languages supporting AMS descriptions

• VHDL-AMS, Verilog-AMS
◦ Discrete Event (DE) and Continuous Time (CT) behaviors close to the
implementation level
◦ Non-trivial solutions for interfacing with software models

• SystemC AMS
◦ Design of AMS systems at different abstraction levels
◦ Trade-off between simulation speed and accuracy
◦ HW/SW co-design for virtual prototyping and architecture exploration

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SystemC AMS (IEEE 1666.1-2016 Standard) [4]

• Three Models of Computation (MoC)

◦ Validation of SW/HW models early in the design flow

◦ User-friendly for digital and software designers
◦ Different implementations can be developed with reference to the standard

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SystemC AMS Implementations (I)

• SystemC-AMS Proof-of-Concept (PoC) [5]

◦ Apache 2.0 licence

◦ Synchronization of CT models
following fixed time steps implicitly
imposed by the TDF scheduler
◦ General approach for modeling
multi-domain physical systems
◦ Expertise required for the PoC
extension

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SystemC AMS Implementations (II)

• SystemC MDVP Simulator Prototype [6,7]

1. Multi-Disciplinary Virtual Prototyping

approach

2. Implementation easy to extend (a

dozen C++ classes to implement)
◦ MoC objects
◦ Solving algorithm
◦ Synchronization methods

3. Synchronization approach
independent from the DT domain

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Simulator Prototype Extension (I)

• TDF MoC implementation to validate the MDVP approach

• New synchronization method between DE and DT domains

◦ Model parameters completely verified before simulation
◦ Static scheduling of processes and interactions

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Simulator Prototype Extension (II)

How the simulator prototype has been recently used ?

SPH MoC [7]

• Smoothed-particle
hydrodynamics theory EN MoC [8]
• Primitives to simulate fluidic • Non-linear Electrical Networks
networks
• ngspice solver encapsulation
• SPH-TDF transducer

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Simulator Synchronization Approach

• Pre-defined synchronization infrastructure

• New MoCs are synchronized following the

specifications imposed by the existing
models of computation

Ongoing work

• Working on DE/CT synchronization

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What about software development ? (I)

• SystemC AMS provides high level hardware models

• Different approaches to model and validate software

Example: A DC Motor Controller [9]

◦ Design specifications
◦ rise time < 0.1 s
◦ steady state error < 5%
◦ overshoot < 20%

◦ DC motor model implemented

Θ̇m (s)
using SystemC-AMS G(s) =
U(s)
◦ Controller can be implemented
from two perspectives

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What about software development ? (II)

Analog Controller

• Using the ELN MoC

• Using the TDF MoC

• Using the LSF MoC

U(s) K s 2 + Kp s + Ki
C(s) = = d
E(s) s

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What about software development ? (III)

Digital Controller (PID algorithm)

• Executed by a CPU model (TLM platform)

• Using a SystemC thread

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What about software development ? (IV)

• Digital controller executed by a CPU model

◦ RISC-V ISS developed in TIMA laboratory

◦ RISC-V QEMU provided by GreenSocs

Technology Sim. time (s) Average Speed-up Time per

(≈56 k instr.) wall-clock time (s) factor instruction (µs)

RISC-V ISS 1.4 7.1 1 127

RISC-V QEMU 1.4 2.4 2.9 43

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Roadmap

• Working on DE/CT synchronization

• Definition of new MoCs for multi-domain physical modeling

• Definition of an open library of simulation models for mixed-signal virtual

prototyping

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References
[1] Exynos 9 Series 9820 Processor: Specs, Features | Samsung Exynos
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/exynos/products/mobileprocessor/exynos-9-series-9820/
[2] STA1295 - Accordo5 - STMicroelectronics
https://www.st.com/en/automotive-infotainment-and-telematics/sta1295.html
[3] Mixed-Signal Systems - Matlab, https://fr.mathworks.com/solutions/mixed-signal-systems/design-flow.html
[4] IEEE 1666.1-2016 - IEEE Standard for Standard SystemC(R) Analog/Mixed-Signal Extensions Language
Reference Manual, https://standards.ieee.org/standard/1666_1-2016.html
[5] COSEDA Technologies | SystemC AMS PoC, https://www.coseda-tech.com/systemc-ams-proof-of-concept
[6] L.Andrade, “Principes et réalisation d’une interface de synchronisation interopérable entre modèles de
calcul SystemC AMS pour le prototypage virtuel optimisé de systèmes multi-disciplines”, PhD. Thesis,
UPMC, 2016.
[7] C.Ben Aoun, “Design of a virtual prototyping framework for composable heterogeneous systems”, PhD.
Thesis, UPMC, 2017.
[8] V.Tran, “Prototypage Virtuel Multi-Disciplines d’une machine électrique et de son système de contrôle
pour automobile hybride”, PhD. Thesis, UPMC, in progress.
[9] B.Fernandez-Mesa, L.Andrade, F.Pétrot, “Motor Controller”, https://github.com/breytner/motor_controller
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