ARM's device simulator aids developers

Chip designer ARM's System Generator tool allows developers to preview handheld apps on a PC

Chip technology firm ARM will today unveil tools to simulate entire ARM-based devices on a Windows PC, enabling developers to begin work on applications and content early in the design cycle. The move will speed up development of software for devices such as phone handsets, according to the firm.

System Generator, part of ARM’s RealView family of tools, enables device makers to build a virtual platform to model the behaviour of a product in real time. This platform can be distributed to developers so they can create and test applications before real hardware is available.

“The problem is that hardware is not available early enough in the design cycle,” said ARM’s product manager for RealView Tools, Mark Snook. Even when available, developer boards are not always robust and are often costly. “If we can replace these with software simulation, we can save a lot of time and money,” he added.

System Generator provides a schematic tool that lets users drag component parts from a library and connect them up. The end result is a virtual device that gives developers a view of what their application will look like.

Performance is a key issue, said Snook. “You really want to see the thing working in real-time, so we emulate the whole system at an appropriate level – we don’t model unnecessary detail,” he added.

Most software uses API calls to interface with system hardware, so System Generator traps these and uses the host PC to provide keyboard input, network connectivity and other functions. The tools also emulate the latest ARM processors, including TrustZone security and ARM’s Jazelle Java accelerator, translating ARM instructions on the fly. This approach means that the virtual device may actually outperform the real one.

“We tested some 3D games with a developer, and found it ran two to 2.5 times faster in simulation than on the handset,” Snook said.

ARM said it was not just targeting embedded developers, but also the millions of creative professionals making content for phones. “Today you can test a Flash application on a PC but you don’t get the feel of how it works on the real device,” Snook said.

System Generator is expected to be available in September. Licence prices will be based on the number of models the customer uses.