These new features include full configurable instruction trace, GDB/Eclipse debug support and memory configuration options. Additionally, included in the updated model are the full standard CLIC features, Debug Module / Mode, Hypervisor “H” simulation, and also 'near-ratified' ISA extensions for Vector “V”, Bit Manipulation “B”, and Crypto (Scalar) “K” extensions.
riscvOVPsimPlus is an Instruction Accurate RISC-V processor simulator (ISS) based on the Imperas Open Virtual Platform (OVP) technology with proprietary Just-in-Time Code Morphing simulation technology that executes RISC-V code on a Linux or Windows x86 based host computer.
The simulator has been designed to be easy to understand and effective to use. It is both flexible and accurate, and is, according to Imperas, exceptionally fast, often over 2,000 MIPS on a modestly configured host machine. It is suitable as a platform target to develop bare metal, OS Ports (Linux or RTOS), driver development as well as full application software.
As a member of the RISC-V community, Imperas has developed the free riscvOVPsimPlus simulator to assist RISC-V adopters to become compliant to the RISC-V specifications. The Imperas RISC-V reference models and simulation technology has been used within RISC-V International’s compliance test suite since 2018, and also in verification working groups within CHIPS Alliance and the OpenHW Group.
“Software and hardware co-design is essential for modern domain specific devices in applications such as AI and Machine Learning,” said Simon Davidmann, CEO at Imperas Software. “With the new riscvOVPsimPlus offering, we are enabling adopters to explore the full envelope of the RISC-V Specifications with support for both for early software development and hardware verification. The RISC-V ISA Specification defines the hardware-software boundary and designers can start innovating now by adopting the free Imperas riscvOVPsimPlus.”
riscvOVPsimPlus is configurable to represent exactly the same implementation choices that RISC-V processor implementors choose thus making it a suitable tool for the usage of RISC-V application software and verification and architectural validation / compliance test suites.
The simulator can connect to GDB and Eclipse for source code debug and can be run in batch mode for regression testing and use in continuous integration environments. It also has many trace options to assist in program development. riscvOVPsimPlus has built-in instruction functional coverage measurement and reporting to assess both test quality and progress in test plan metrics. It is used to measure the completeness of the RISC-V architectural tests and test suites.
riscvOVPsimPlus, is a free RISC-V reference model and simulator that includes a proprietary freeware license from Imperas, which covers free commercial as well as academic use. The simulator package also includes a complete open-source model licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.
