Joachim Schlosser: Development and Verification of fast C/C++ Simulation Models for the Star12 Microcontroller

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1.1.3.  My Job

Motorola is one of the largest vendors of embedded systems, and, of course, also of SoCs. So it is obvious, that there is the need for a full-chip-simulation tool. This tool already exists, but for all the devices and peripherals, models must be created step by step to allow their virtual integration into these chips, that are to be simulated. It is very necessary to give customers the ability to simulate SoCs for the reasons mentioned above. On one side, simulators are a product on their own, but, of course, they are also a bundle with hardware fabrication contracts and so an instrument for customer loyalty. A customer, who can virtually use the chip, long before having it physically, is also more communicative, more design issues can be found and so he also can help to make the product – his product – better.

The first practical part of my job was to implement models for two peripherals of the Star12 microprocessor, also known as M68HC12. We choose the eight/sixteen-channel analogue-to-digital converter and the six/eight channel pulse width modulator for modeling, i. e. one input and one output peripheral. See section 3.1.1.1 on page 170 for a description on the models and a short overview of the Star12 microprocessor.

The simulator engine, Motorola uses, is able to be integrated into the debugger of the microprocessor development platform as well as into Verilog simulators and others. Within engineering, the toolkits Matlab and Simulink are widely used to model the circuit systems, for example complete engines.

My second big job was, to allow models, running on the simulator engine, to be used as blocks within Simulink and thus be able to virtually integrate a SoC into any other environment. To learn more about Motorola, see appendix  4 on page 281.

Concerning my job with Motorola, I would like to thank especially Mr. Manfred Thanner, who supported me great in learning the capabilities that were necessary for doing the job. Also thanks go to Dr. Andreas Both and the whole team of the Virtual Garage Munich, who were, like Mr. Thanner, always open to my questions – and there were quite a lot of questions of course.

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