( ESNUG 378 Item 12 ) ------------------------------------------- [10/03/01]
Subject: ( ESNUG 377 #1 ) Synopsys Rebuts "Hey, We've Been Advancing VCS!"
> Is it just me or does it seem to me that VCS has been stuck in a timewarp?
>
> I used VCS a little over four years ago and then wound up using ModelSim
> for four years. Over those four years, ModelSim added some very useful
> features and improvements plus Verilog support which I happily used. I
> changed companies, and I'm now back using VCS.
>
> But it seems that VCS hasn't evolved.
>
> - Gregg Lahti
> Corrent Corp Tempe, AZ
From: Tim Schneider <tims@synopsys.com>
John,
It's more of a space/time continuum of increasing performance. If you've
been away for a while, here's some of what was added since '97 (VCS 4.0):
* Increased the number of ASIC sign-off vendors to 30+
* Support compiled SDF (and incremental compile for SDF files)
* DirectKernel integration (DKI) with VirSim GUI for speed
* DirectKernel integration with Novas Debussy GUI (also for speed)
* Dynamic and static race detection
* Dynamic profiler to understand where CPU time is spent
* VirSim enhancements - glitch detection, event origin, value
annotation of source code, etc.
* Mixed-HDL with Scirocco VHDL simulator
* Mixed-signal with NanoSim
* Radiant Technology Optimizations
* Direct C Integration
* Adaptive PLI
* +timopt timing optimizations to speed gate-level timing runs
* full comprehensive code coverage built in
> After being away from using it for four years, the VCS documentation
> hasn't changed much if at all. Finding out all of the new switches
> added or the performance adds to VCS isn't possible: the shipped
> docs still have Chronologic plastered all over them and there is a
> serious lack of any documentation available on the Solvnet site. (I
> had to resort to going through my SNUG handouts of previous years to
> find out about the latest and great issues with VCS).
All the latest and greatest docs on VCS can be found in $VCS_HOME/doc.
In there you will find:
ReleaseNotes - what has changed/been fixed
UserGuide directory - current .pdf's
The docs underwent a complete overhaul and rewrite a few years back. I
remember helping review some of the changes (around the VCS 5.x
timeframe.) Searching for 'VCS' AND 'performance' yielded some 79
hits on SolvNet. A few of the more pertinent are listed here:
20: Maximizing VCS Performance
Doc Name: Doc-134.html Last updated: 06/14/2001
21: Debugging VCS with the +rad Switch
Doc Name: Field-154.html Last updated: 11/03/1999
22: Improving gate level simulation performance with SDF
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-194.html Last updated: 08/30/2001
25: TIMOPT improves gate level simulation
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-344.html Last updated: 09/04/2001
27: VCS timopt
Doc Name: Field-290.html Last updated: 09/04/2001
28: Improving Memory Usage and Runtime Performance with waveform dumping
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-247.html Last updated: 08/24/2001
32: How can I reduce simulation time?
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-50.html Last updated: 03/02/1999
35: How do I measure compile/run time performance?
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-65.html Last updated: 01/23/1998
36: Should I write a large part of my design in PLI (C) for speed-up?
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-61.html Last updated: 01/23/1998
45: Precompiled SDF Methodology
Doc Name: Facilities-2.html Last updated: 08/24/2001
47: Improving gate level debug performance
Doc Name: Field-86.html Last updated: 08/24/2001
51: How should I write my Verilog code for maximum speed?
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-62.html Last updated: 01/23/1998
52: How do I profile a VCS simulation?
Doc Name: Verilog_Simulation-59.html Last updated: 01/23/1998
> The VCS PLI interface sure hasn't been improved, as it doesn't support
> PLI 2.0 calls and still has some limited PLI 1.0 issues.
Admittedly there is no PLI 2.0 in VCS yet. This will be fixed *shortly*.
The VCS PLI 2.0 (VPI) beta program begins next month, and we've already
been working with a few partners for several months.
> The virsim interface seems much different than what was in it four years
> ago. However, the new interface seems to me more user-hostile than the
> VHDL simulator interface that Synopsys finally dumped a year ago. Thank
> goodness for Debussy which still offers really good debugging and a
> half-way decent user doc.
GUI's are like opinions, everyone is entitled to one. :-) And sometimes
they border on 'religion'. (vi versus emacs?) Virsim is pretty powerful.
Debussy is too. You can use either or both since *both* are tightly
integrated with VCS. Hey, we even let you change the colors and the buttons
if you like! :-)
> Finally, it's mid-year 2001. How many more years must I wait for VCS to
> integrate all of the Verilog 2000 language updates?
It's getting there. It's moving pretty much along with Design Compiler as
far as construct support. Many Verilog 2001 constructs were supported with
VCS 6.0, released Jan 2001. Stu Sutherland and Don Mills presented a paper
at San Jose SNUG this past spring describing VCS and DC support for Verilog
2000. See http://www.snug-universal.org/sj/sj2001_papers.htm#MC2
- Tim Schneider
Synopsys, Inc Mesa, AZ
|
|
