Save power with virtual system prototyping

The growing number of ultra-low power sensor applications drives the processing requirements "on-the-edge" and increases the demand for smart sensors, which implement signal processing and algorithmic features in firmware. Virtual prototyping in SystemC has become a major field of interest to validate the firmware and allow a seamless integration. However, the capability of SystemC is limited to discrete-time applications and cannot handle the full sensor system including its analog front end and mechanical part. Consequently, the firmware validation is often limited to oversimplified scenarios. In this paper, we present a virtual system prototype (VSP) using SystemC and its analog/mixed-signal (AMS) extensions which permits the validation of complex firmware features with tight interaction to the sensor element. The key benefit of this approach is an improved controllability and observability during the sensor firmware development even in early design phases. An industrial case study of a MEMS accelerometer and gyroscope is used throughout the paper to illustrate the proposed approach. A performance analysis proves the pracitcal relevance of our full-stack VSP as the simulation time is increased by a factor less than five compared to a pure SystemC approach without any functionality in the analog or physical domain.

This paper describes an on-line memory and CPU register state validation methodology in virtualized simulated environments where an Instruction Set Simulator (ISS) executes native applications on top of Operating System (OS) and dynamic translation is enabled. A Virtual System Prototyping (VSP) environment models a platform providing host memory pointers and a CPU core requesting read, write and execute direct memory accesses to the platform. A platform allocated shadow memory captures memory accesses during native code instruction execution. Another specially cloned shadow memory copy that supplies host pointers to the core captures memory accesses while executing dynamically translated code instructions. The methodology comprises saving execution contexts, reloading the ISS from a restart point and brunching the ISS execution either on native or translated codes. An online checker compares memory and register states at specially defined check points of interest. A cosimulation tool has been implemented in C++ as a loadable module into the VSP controlled by the ISS simulated events.

The desire to design systems right the first time and to produce designs that are readily manufacturable is a goal passionately pursued by all engineers. Designers of electronic systems are no exception to this rule; the number and sophistication of the computer-aided design tools used daily by chip designers confirm this. Recently, however, designers of larger electronic systems have also been turning to such tools in growing numbers. This article explores how a specific capability, simulation, has contributed to their success.

A layer-based virtual prototyping system for product development

The design of a radiation-hardened electronic system is in many ways no different from the design of electronic systems which must perform correctly while exposed to the more standard environments, such as temperature, vibration, and humidity. The early recognition of shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, and acceleration as environments which would influence electrical performance of the electronic systems has resulted in a thorough understanding of how to design against these environments. The reader familiar with electronic design in the more standard environments should endeavor to apply good design techniques from these environments to that of nuclear radiation, when the techniques seem applicable. This is seldom possible, since the radiation environment is in most ways quite unique, though there are instances where the approach can be used. For example, the design of electronics for operation in high temperatures (100 to 600°C) will also result in an electronic system which can withstand large integrated particle doses without degradation. The application of failure probability analysis, which is quite common for the more standard environments, has been generally neglected in work associated with the nuclear radiation environment. The importance of the failure probability analysis cannot be stressed enough. The single or few test sample determinations of component radiation sensitivity may be adequate early in the design cycle of a particular electronic system. However, toward the end of the design cycle, large test sample determination is a must in order to establish high confidence in the component selection for production units of the electronic system.

This study presents a methodology used in the design certification of a battery module for electric vehicle applications. The methodology combines virtual and physical techniques to assess the structure under mechanical shock testing, according to the standards’ requirements. Virtual prototyping is used to quantify parameters as stresses and deformations. Performed simulations using the virtual prototype are validated by testing the physical prototype, which allows for assessing various design parameters with a high level of confidence. The testing of a physical prototype is performed using specialized equipment—a mechanical shock test bench—which is developed and manufactured especially for this task. The presented methodology is demonstrated in an industrial use case, and the main contribution of this study is related to the way the combination of virtual and physical prototyping and testing is used.

This paper proposes a dexel‐based virtual prototyping system, which builds a virtual prototype with dexels or rectangular strips of solid. The approach resembles the physical fabrication process of most powder‐based rapid prototyping (RP) systems. It simulates an RP process to create a virtual prototype. Colour virtual prototypes may also be fabricated relatively easily. Thus, the designer can perform design validation and accuracy analysis easily in a virtual environment as if using a physical prototype. In addition to numeric quantification of the RP process, the system provides vivid visualisations of the prototype for studying its characteristics. Furthermore, the prototype may be superimposed on the product model, and the areas with dimensional errors beyond design limits may be clearly highlighted for subsequent improvement. The designer may thus analyse and compare the surface texture point‐by‐point of the prototype with the product design.

Control of EMI between sources and susceptible devices is essential if EMC is to be achieved in a complex electronic system. The electronic system designer must give careful consideration to the components that are used in the system and must define their EMI interactions with each other and with the system operational environment. The system designer must define the EMI suppression and control requirements that are necessary to achieve EMC. Also, the system designer must define the various EMI/EMC regulations and standards that apply to the system and must design the system so it satisfies these regulations and standards.

This paper presents a formal approach that addresses the reciprocal robots collision avoidance, where two robots need to avoid collisions with each other, while moving in a common workspace. Based on our formulation, each physical robot acts fully independently, communicating with the corresponding virtual prototype and imitating its behavior. Each physical robot reproduces the pathway of its virtual prototype. With a view to collision avoidance, it is necessary to detect a possible collision. This action includes the potentially intersecting regions test of the corresponding virtual prototypes. The estimation of the collision-free actions on the virtual robots and the collaborative work of the physical robots which imitate their virtual prototypes are the original ideas. Based on potentially intersecting regions of the virtual robots, we identified a collision-free motion corridor for two cooperative robots. Using the definition of velocity obstacles, we derived sufficient conditions for the collision-free motion of the two virtual robots. We tested the present approach on several complex simulation scenarios involving two virtual robots and estimating collision-free actions for each of them during the cooperative tasks. The focus of this paper is the identification of the collision-free actions for two virtual robots and their behavioral imitation by the physical robots.

The proficiency of Computer Aided Design (CAD) to save, communicate and render realistic virtual prototypes allows for easier communication and review of proposed design decisions via design reviews. However, the use of virtual prototypes is limited by the realism of the human computer interface. This paper builds on previous research investigating if increasing the realism of input and output interactions between subjects and virtual prototypes will affect user’s ability to analyze an assembly for errors. For this end, two experiments were conducted which asked participants to perform design reviews on assembly models and identify errors in the assembly. The first experiment tested virtual prototype output display factors through subject point of view movement and virtual prototype rotation. The second experiment tested human input factors using different controller setups. It is expected the more realistic virtual prototype rendering and controller input experience will result in more accurate design reviews.

Virtual prototypes are increasingly used in device/driver co-development and co-validation to enable early driver development and reduce product time-to-market. However, drivers developed over virtual prototypes often do not work readily on silicon devices, since silicon devices often do not conform to virtual prototypes. Therefore, it is important to detect the inconsistences between silicon devices and virtual prototypes.

Dynamic Simulation analysis of mechanical system based on the virtual prototyping technology can be used to simulate the actual working condition of machines to be designed. It can shorten the product development cycle by providing convenient amendments to the virtual prototype in accordance with the results of simulation. In this paper, the virtual prototype of the crank-connecting rod mechanism of mud pump was built by using the software Pro/Engineer, then the model was imported into the virtual prototyping software —ADAMS. At the same time, the restrictions and the driving mode were applied to simulate the kinematic process according to the multi-body system dynamics theory. Thus the whole dynamic analysis process of the virtual prototype was completed. Though the process, the movement process graphs such as displacement, velocity and acceleration of the piston were obtained, which validated the availability of the movement model. The design process and methodology adopted in this paper can be a valuable reference for the design and development of similar products.

Integrating and sharing multidisciplinary model data and improving robusticity and validity of product conceptual design system in distributed environment is one of the key technical problems in Virtual Prototype design and simulation of complex products. After long time research on multi-agent systems, an agent-based product conceptual design system combining XML and Web Service technology was proposed, system architecture, communication style and system workflow were illustrated. Further more it discussed product conceptual design development process, decision arithmetic and gave a unified intelligent agent group form for electronic, software and control systems involved in virtual prototyping product conceptual design, realized a service-oriented, supporting distributed, heterogeneous and multi-field collaborative product conceptual design supporting platform.

Taking automobile design as a study case, this paper presents the approaches to implement a distributed image-based virtual prototyping (VP) system employing distributed virtual reality (DVR) technology combined with image-based rendering (IBR) technology. Firstly, the methods to implement an image-based closed spherical space are presented, which can be used to construct a photo-quality virtual prototype; secondly, the novel vision sensitivity-based rendering tactic and the relevant image cubic-spline interpolation methods, which visibly improve the efficiency of rendering, is represented. Finally, a distributed image-based virtual prototyping system is implemented, by which a product designer can easily and rapidly construct a photo-quality virtual prototype and distribute it on the Internet, whereby buyers can visually understand whether or not the product can meet their individual requirements. This system enables buyers and designers to visually evaluate and discuss the design remotely, which has consequently improved the design efficiency greatly and lowered the cost substantially.

Research on key technologies of complex product virtual prototype lifecycle management (CPVPLM)