Xtreme Server Multi-user Performance Based Verification Process Automation (VPA)

Xtreme Server Benefits Multi-User Allows up to 12 simultaneous users Multi-Purpose Seamlessly integrates emulation, acceleration, and simulation into a single verification environment Provides a configurable platform for early system-level integration Emulates behavioral objects with reconfigurable behavioral processors High Capacity Supports designs of up to 50M ASIC gates Provides memory of up to 12 GB Supports up to 4,656 IOs High Performance Runs at speeds of up to 1 million cycles per second Easy-to-Use Preserves native simulation debugging environment by supporting all HDL constructs, PLI calls, and testbenches Integrated Debugging Offers hot-swapping in real time from in-circuit emulation to simulation for maximum debugging flexibility Extracts all design node history information during or after simulation using VCD-on-Demand Model Binding Provides accurate modeling of event-based, cycle-based, and transaction-based modeling styles Links different levels of modeling abstraction into one verification environment

Verification Bottleneck
Until now, verification tools have not kept pace with the incredible rate at which design sizes are growing, creating a rapidly widening verification gap.

Traditional software simulation works well for early design verification, but slows down significantly at RTL and gate level. Traditional hardware emulation achieves high performance, but departs from native simulation environments with steep learning curves, lengthy setup times, and difficult debugging methods.

To close the verification gap, Xtreme Server provides emulation performance and simulation flexibility in a single multi-user, multi-purpose event-based system with a unified design database.

VPA Platform
Xtreme Server is a unified high-performance Verification Process Automation (VPA) platform. VPA enables verification teams to use well-defined processes, combined with best-in-class technology, to automate and simplify verification, from executable plans to verification closure.

SoC designers can quickly create new, or modify existing, architectures much earlier in their design flows. Designers can leverage IPs from various marketplaces or re-use models created from previous projects. Design teams can simultaneously simulate, accelerate, and emulate these models.

Xtreme Server gives you early access to HW/SW system integration and affirms system performance before actual silicon is available.

Enabled by patented RCC (ReConfigurable Computing) technology and leveraging the latest FPGA technology, Xtreme Server delivers fast runtime performance and highest capacity, while preserving the native RTL simulation debugging environment.

In-Circuit Emulation
Xtreme Server can connect directly to a target system and is controlled through a Sun workstation or Linux PC via one set of PCI extender cables for compactness and high-speed communication. The ability to simultaneously emulate physical hardware with software models, while using a software simulation environment for debugging, provides the most flexible and accessible system integration solution.

Behavioral Emulation and Procedural Callbacks
Xtreme Server extends emulation with behavioral processors and embedded procedural callbacks.

For the first time, behavioral processors give you a practical method for emulating non-synthesizable behavioral objects. Xtreme Server's unique behavioral emulation capability maintains the performance level of emulation without giving up the flexibility of a software simulation environment.

Xtreme Server automates event-driven callbacks during acceleration or emulation. By using embedded callback options, you can use common simulation tasks or customized software utilities to process functions better handled by the workstation.

One-Step Compilation and Mapping
Design descriptions can be separated into three components: behavioral, RTL, and gates. Xtreme Server's compiler automatically maps sections that can be emulated with the RCC engine and builds a native-compiled simulation image for sections that remain in the XSIM software simulator.

The patented Hierarchy Extracted mapping technique automatically maps designs onto arrays of FPGAs for optimized usage and high-performance simulation.

Debug in Software, Emulate or Accelerate in RCC
Xtreme Server's ability to swap states between the XSIM software simulator and the RCC engine, in real time, makes it unique among hardware verification systems. During simulation, you can swap the state of the RCC engine into the XSIM software simulator to interactively debug the design and continue in software simulation. When your circuit is fully debugged, and the problem isolated, the simulation state value can be swapped back into the RCC engine for maximum simulation performance.

Complete History with no Re-simulation
Xtreme Server's VCD-on-Demand (VoD) feature gives you access to all node history values from any point in simulation without re-simulating from time zero - significantly increasing debugging productivity. Waveforms can be generated in either IEEE-standard VCD (Value-Change-Dump) or FSDB (Fast Signal Database) format.

Simplified Library and Memory Conversion
To maximize density and performance on the RCC processors, design library and memory cells are converted into RCC elements. For library cells, a library compiler automatically generates the appropriate mapping. For embedded design memory blocks, a large internal cache and on-board memories are configured to the specific memory type. For complete system verification, large external memories are integrated using extended memory board or workstation memory, communicating via the fast PCI bus.

All-Encompassing System
To stay a step ahead of your competition, you need the fastest, most efficient, and most adaptable verification system available. With its multi-user, multi-purpose single-database solution for simulation, acceleration, and emulation, Xtreme Server has been designed to significantly increase your verification productivity and to give you complete confidence in your designs.