Eclipse-based User Interface Enhancements in Simics 4.2

Simics 4.2 includes user interface enhancements providing views of hardware parameters (target machines, memory, registers, etc.) within the Eclipse tools framework. Now, developers can use either the Simics-native UI, or the Simics Eclipse plugin according to their specific needs, requirements and in-house solutions.

Key Problems Addressed:

• Enabling a single Eclipse environment for all development tasks in an organization
• Controlling Simics simulations from any Eclipse framework
• Creating custom controls for custom target hardware

Who should care?:

• Tool developers
• Development tools organizations
• Developers
• Engineering/project managers
• System modelers

Features

Clean Installation

Simics Eclipse Tools install cleanly using the Eclipse software install and update mechanism. Simics can be integrated with any other combination of Eclipse plugins to create a unified development platform of which Simics is one element.

User Interface

The Eclipse-based user interface has been enhanced with new powerful viewers that allow the user to inspect and edit the target system overall configuration, memory mappings, memory content as well as register banks and values. The UI also retains the ability to start and control the Simics sessions, and the ability to modify the model with the DML code editor.

Eclipse UI: Simics simulating a small network of machines

Open Integration API

Simics now includes a Simics-Eclipse API which eases the integration of Simics capability into 3rd party Eclipse tools such as work-flow control systems, debuggers and IDEs. With the Simics-Eclipse API, any Eclipse plug-in can control a Simics simulation, including starting, stopping, and reversing the execution. There is also an API that provides modelers the ability to build arbitrary custom Eclipse-based front-ends for custom virtual platforms, including status reports and configuration interfaces.