Mixed-Signal Extensions for SystemC

SystemC supports a wide range of Models of Computation (MoC) and is very well suited for the design and refinement of HW/SW-systems from functional downto register transfer level. However, for a broad range of applications the digital parts and algorithms interact with analog parts and the continuous-time environment. Due to the complexity of this interactions and the dominance of the analog parts in respect to the system behavior, is it essential to consider the analog parts within the design process of an Analog and Mixed Signal System. Therefore simulation performance is very crucial- especially for the analog parts. Thus different and specialized analog simulators must be introduced to permit the use of the most efficient solver for the considered application and level of abstraction. In this paper we describe possible areas of application and formulate requirements for analog and mixed-signal extensions for SystemC. 1