Virtual prototyping of heterogeneous dynamic platforms using Open Virtual Platforms

Heterogeneous dynamic computing platforms are one of the big trends in today's electronic world. These platforms typically feature different General-Purpose-Processors (GPP) combined with accelerators on a reconfigurable layer. However, this necessitates specialized programming models and an Operating System (OS) for dealing with the dynamicity. To allow the early development of the system software, the tool-chain and to help in the design space exploration, high-level simulations offer a possible solution. In this paper we evaluate the application of Open Virtual Platforms (OVP) for the modelling of a heterogeneous dynamic platform. The OVP high-level simulations are extended by introducing peripherals to model the abilities of such a platform. Specifically, a generic I/O device, a communication device for a distributed platform and an accelerator interface with a reconfigurable accelerator model is implemented and integrated into a simulated platform. Different approaches are presented and the insights and results gained during the development process are discussed regarding speed and applicability to the use case.