Modelling Arm-Based SoCs and Subsystems with Fast Models

Fast Models are accurate, flexible programmer's view models of Arm IP, allowing you to develop software such as drivers, firmware, OS and applications prior to silicon availability. They allow full control over the simulation, including profiling, debug and trace. Fast Models can be exported to SystemC and TLM 2.0, allowing integration into the wider SoC design process.

Components in a Virtual Prototype

A complete virtual prototype of a system contains more than just an Instruction Set Simulator. A full system consists of:

  • Fast, accurate models of cores, subsystems or systems
  • SystemC interface for integration with EDA tools and other IP blocks
  • APIs for debug (CADI) and trace (MTI), allowing full control and an interface to DS-5, MDK and 3rd party debug tools
  • Python based scripting for runtime control, checking and reporting
  • Visualization, file system access, peripherals and networking from virtual I/O
  • Fully compatible Linaro software stacks, from boot code to Linux and Android OS support

Evaluate Fast Models 11.3:

Evaluate for Linux

Evaluate for Windows

The following packages contain useful extensions to the Fast Models software, including SystemC support libraries, example platforms, trace modules and more.

3rd Party Addons Linux

3rd Party Addons Windows

Software Development with Fast Models

Complete & Accurate

Fast Models are available for all Cortex processors, CCI and CCN interconnect, as well as other system IP. Fast Models are functionally accurate, so banked and co-processor registers, exception levels, translation tables and cache coherency are all available to programmers.

Hybrid Simulation

Connect a CPU subsystem to peripherals on hardware emulators via AMBA transactors for emulation acceleration. Compatible with Cadence, Mentor Graphics and Synopsys emulators for maximum flexibility in your software development and IP validation process.

Save and Restore

Checkpointing allows you to save your simulation once the OS has booted, so that you can restart from there and jump quickly back into your software. For regression testing, multiple simulations can be restarted from a single checkpoint.

Timing Annotation

Fast Models interact with TLM approximately timed models for high level software performance estimation. This helps to give an idea of how software will perform on the real device, saving software development time further into the project.

Fast Models Portfolio

Arm releases models of our IP to lead partners at an early stage, so please contact us for more information on upcoming Fast Models.

CPU Fast Models

CPU Family Processor
Cortex-A Series Cortex-A32, Cortex-A35, Cortex-A53, Cortex-A55, Cortex-A57, Cortex-A72, Cortex-A73, Cortex-A75, Cortex-A5, Cortex-A7, Cortex-A8, Cortex-A9, Cortex-A15, Cortex-A17
Cortex-R Series Cortex-R52, Cortex-R8, Cortex-R4, Cortex-R5, Cortex-R7
Cortex-M Series Cortex-M23, Cortex-M33,Cortex-M0, Cortex-M0+, Cortex-M3, Cortex-M4, Cortex-M7

Fixed Virtual Platform Downloads

Fixed versions of Fast Models are also available, giving software developers a ready-to-use model of a complete Arm system. They can be downloaded, licensed individually and imported into DS-5 for ease of use. Fixed Virtual Platforms are a convenient way of testing software without needing to wait for development boards to become available.

Learn more


System IP Fast Models

System IP Family
Interconnect CCI-400, CCI-500, CCI-550, CCN-502, CCN-504, CCN-508, CCN-512, CMN-600
Interrupt Controllers GIC-400, GIC-500, GIC-600
System Memory Management Units MMU-400, MMU-500, MMU-600
Other DMC-620, DMC-500, DMC-520, DMC-400, DMA-330, TZC-400 

Peripherals and Infrastructure

Type Variant
Interfaces Ethernet, MMC, CLDC, HDLCD, VirtIO Block, Virtio Plan, VFS
Peripheral UART, MMU, Mouse and Keyboard, SSP, Timers, Clocks, GPIO
Memories RAM, Flash, NAND Flash, PL080, PL340, PL350, L2C-310
 TrustZone TZIC, TZMA, TZPC
Other Visualization, Bridges to AMBA-PV, PV Bus, File/App Loaders

Media IP Fast Models

 Media IP
  
 Mali Display Processors
  Mali-DP500, Mali-DP550, Mali-DP650, Mali-D71
 Mali Video Processors
  Mali-V550, Mali-V61
 Mali GPU
  Mali-G51, Mali-G71, Mali-G72, Generic Graphics Accelerator (GGA)


Architectural Fast Models

  Available Models
CPU
 Armv8-A (up to version 8.4), Armv8-M
 Interrupt Controller
  GICv2, GICv3
 SMMU  SMMUv3