DUST

A non-intrusive analysis framework for SystemC and GreenBus.

Download and Documentation

The current version is DUST 2.0beta. It provides the SystemC design analysis backend with TCP/IP server and the Java-based visualization frontend with SQL database support.

[attachment:dust-070626.tar.gz Download DUST 2.0 beta-070626]

[dust_date07.pptSlides on DUST with screenshots and some technical info]

DUST QuickStart Guide (outdated, needs update!)

What is it?

DUST is a GreenBus-aware analysis framework for SystemC designs. It aims at non-intrusive design structure reflection and communication analysis without the need for a parser or a modified SystemC simulation kernel.

DUST design structure analysis and transaction monitoring is enabled by linking the DUST library to your executable SystemC design. The output is an XML data stream that is created during simulation runtime.

DUST Architecture

Backend

A TCP/IP server is attached to the design-under-test. The Java-based visualization kit provides a client that connects to this server. Analysis data is sent from the backend to the frontend using XML streaming.

The DUST backend provides a plug-in interface for analysis services. These services can be started and configured at simulation runtime by sending commands over the TCP/IP connection. A simple XML-based handshake protocol is used.

Available services:

• Structure Reflection Service: analysis of the static design structure; module hierarchy, processes, ports, interfaces, channels, sc_object attributes
• Introspection Service: transaction recording; natively supported by GreenBus ports using SCV
• Port Control Service: remote-invoke portControl(string &xml_message) method in ports that implement the dust_port_control_if. E.g., inject faults into your model.

Frontend

The Java kit includes SQL database support, so the analysis data received from the backend can be stored in a SQL database. Supported databases:

• MySQL
• PostgreSQL

The database tables are generated automatically from DUST XML schema files. You can extend these files to customize functionality.

The visualization toolkit provides an API to access the analysis data. It supports live update (while receiving transaction recordings from a running simulation) and scrolling back in time (taking data from the database).

Two viewers are available in the package:

• Structure View
• Transaction MSC View

A Gantt bus workload viewer is under development.

Bugs and problems

DUST is still under development. If you would like to contribute, or if you have questions or suggestions concerning DUST, please contact us: wolfgang.klingauf AT greensocs.com