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Virtutech's Simics 3.0 Available Now; Reverse Code Execution Capabilities and Device Modeling Language Shorten Modeling Leadtimes and Increase Programmer Productivity

Posted on: Monday, 3 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Virtutech, Inc., the leading provider of full system simulation technology for the development and testing of software for advanced electronic systems, today announced the general availability of Simics 3.0, an advanced simulation platform capable of running unchanged production binaries of the target hardware at high-performance speeds. Today's release of Simics 3.0 includes major new technology enhancements:

-- Device Modeling Language (DML)

-- Device Modeling Language Compiler (DMLC)

-- Hindsight, the world's first general-purpose development tool for reversible execution

Simics 3.0 provides the most productive environment to test and debug software for improved quality and faster time-to-market of the final product. Simics 3.0 is available as a stand-alone platform or on the Eclipse framework.

"Virtutech's Simics provides a controlled development environment for rigorous testing," said Mike Turnlund, director of engineering at Cisco Systems. "The capability with full system simulation to halt an entire network and reverse it for closer investigation is just not an option with real hardware. Simulation takes the guesswork out of development and has saved valuable time and capital."

Debugging on real hardware typically consumes more than half a programmer's time during the development process. When an error occurs, hardware-based solutions require re-booting and re-running the code in an attempt to halt execution just before the problem. In contrast, Simics Hindsight introduces the ability for software developers to run code backward once an error is detected. Improving debugging productivity with reverse code execution significantly shortens the software development and testing phase of the product life-cycle.

The addition of DML offers the developer the most productive environment for creating and configuring non-standard devices such as ASICs and FPGAs. DML largely automates the routine task of creating code to manage the hundreds and often thousands of registers in a modern system. The DMLC translates DML into high-performance device models that enable Simics to simulate complete electronic systems at a performance measured in speeds of up to billions of simulated instructions per second. DML ultimately enables developers to start programming earlier, saving valuable time and capital early on in the product life-cycle.

Virtutech has also integrated Simics 3.0 into the Eclipse framework. For the first time, full system simulation, including reverse debugging and execution with Hindsight, is available to the users that are standardizing on Eclipse as their integrated development environment.

"Simics Hindsight highlights how full system simulation reaches beyond the boundaries of testing and debugging with traditional hardware. Fully simulating any hardware environment -- regardless of whether that environment includes multiple processors, multiple networks or other complex device configurations -- enables large companies in multiple markets, including electronics, aerospace and defense, and automotive, to gain a demonstrable productivity achieved through savings in capital expenditure on hardware and time-to-market," said Stephen Hendrick, group vice president, Application Development and Deployment Research at IDC. "With the release of Simics 3.0, Virtutech has become a leader on the market for full system simulation by providing a robust platform for the developer."

"Virtutech's full system simulation platform has proven itself the only cost-effective and productive software development platform that can accommodate the rapidly increasing software content in today's electronic devices," said Peter S. Magnusson, chief technology officer of Virtutech. "More than 10 years of research and development have culminated in the announcement of Simics 3.0 featuring Hindsight. Virtutech is enabling a new approach to software development that is delivering significant ROI to some of the largest companies in the world."

Pricing and Availability

Virtutech Simics 3.0 is available now. Simics 3.0 pricing varies based on use and model requirements. DML is included in Simics Model Builder, which is $50K. Simics Hindsight is a $5K add-on to Simics Developer. For more information on the technology and pricing, contact sales@virtutech.com or call 408-392-9150.

About Virtutech

Virtutech, Inc. is the leading provider of full system simulation for electronic system software development. Virtutech's Simics eliminates software developers' dependence on test hardware and drives concurrent development, enabling its customers to lower capital expenditure, accelerate time to market and reduce project risk. Based on more than a decade of R&D and close collaboration with leading universities and systems vendors, Virtutech's technology serves the needs of the world's leading technology providers, including AMD, Cisco, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel and Sun Microsystems.

Virtutech is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visit www.virtutech.com or e-mail info@virtutech.com.

Source: Business Wire

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