PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 12 December 2005 The
IEEE has approved a new electronic design standard
for the SystemC 2.1 language. The standard, IEEE 1666(TM),
“Standard SystemC Language Reference Manual,”
addresses the increasing complexity of system-on-chip
(SoC) design at the systems level, where the most
substantial performance and productivity gains in
semiconductors can be made.
IEEE 1666, the definitive description of the SystemC
2.1 design language, broadens hardware and software
modeling capabilities to higher levels of abstraction.
It lets engineers architect entire systems from the
start, which speeds design, and allows for the sharing
and reuse of intellectual property (IP).
“IEEE 1666 was developed rapidly within the IEEE
Corporate Standard Program in less than 8 months,
a significant achievement in the evolution of a standard,”
said Chuck Adams, chair of the IEEE Standards Association
(IEEE-SA) Corporate Advisory Group (CAG). “I
want to thank the Open SystemC Initiative and its
working groups for delivering a high-quality specification
earlier this year. Their outstanding technical contribution
and cooperation with the IEEE P1666 Working Group
made the standards process very efficient and has
led to a clearly defined, system-level design standard.”
In addition to spanning design and verification from
concept to implementation in hardware and software,
the new standard also provides an interoperable modeling
platform for developing and exchanging fast system-level
C++ models. It also forms a bridge between architectural
design and register-transfer-level (RTL) implementation,
providing a platform for the creation of interoperable
tools in a rich design environment.
“As we approach chip features at 65 nm or less,
the need for high-level design that addresses both
hardware and software together is a driving force
in realizing complex SoCs,” said Victor Berman,
chair of the P1666 Working Group at IEEE and director
of Language Standards at Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
“The sheer complexity of today’s SoCs and
the significant rise in the demand for IP reuse has
made the move to high-level system design a necessity.
The IEEE 1666 SystemC standard meets this need. “The
standard arms engineers with a powerful integrated
platform to tackle design, simulation, verification
and architectural modeling challenges. By letting
users develop SoC virtual prototypes efficiently to
assist architecture analysis and early software development,
it should reduce the risk of design error. It also
gives designers a work flow that extends from the
system-level to RTL and offers the significant advantage
of industry-wide IP exchange and reuse.”
IEEE 1666 was sponsored by the Design Automation Standards
Committee within the IEEE Computer Society and by
the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group. This standard
was created within the IEEE–SA Corporate Standards
Program by the entity-based P1666 Working Group, in
which each member company had one vote on the standard
and a consensus was needed for adoption. The working
group contained organizations that use, produce and
have a general interest in SystemC.
About SystemC and OSCI
The Open SystemC(TM) Initiative is an independent,
not-for-profit association composed of a broad range
of organizations dedicated to supporting and advancing
SystemC as an open industry standard for system-level
modeling, design and verification. SystemC is a design
and verification language built in C++ that spans
from concept to implementation in hardware and software.
About the IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized
standards-setting body, develops consensus standards
through an open process that brings diverse parts
of an industry together. These standards set specifications
and procedures based on current scientific consensus.
The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed
standards and more than 400 standards in development.
For information on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.
About the IEEE
The IEEE has more than 375,000 members in approximately
150 countries. Through its members, the organization
is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace,
computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric
power and consumer electronics. The IEEE produces
nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in the
electrical and electronics engineering, computing
and control technology fields. This nonprofit organization
also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical
conferences each year. Additional information about
the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.
IEEE 1666 is a trademark of the IEEE. All other names
or product names
mentioned above are the trademarks, service marks
or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.
