ARM Fast Models - MarekBykowski/readme GitHub Wiki
What is Fast Models?
The Fast Models product comprises a library of Programmer's View (PV) models and tools that enable partners to build, execute, and debug virtual platforms. Virtual platforms enable the development and validation of software without the need for target silicon. The same virtual platform can be used to represent the processor or processor subsystem in SoC validation.
The benefits of using Fast Models include:
Develop code without hardware
Fast Models provides early access to Arm® IP, well ahead of silicon being available. Virtual platforms are suitable for OS bring-up and for driver, firmware, and application development. They provide an early development platform for new Arm® technology and accelerate time-to-market.
High performance
Fast Models uses Code Translation (CT) processor models, which translate Arm® instructions into the instruction set of the host dynamically, and cache translated blocks of code. This and other optimization techniques, for instance temporal decoupling and Direct Memory Interface (DMI), produce fast simulation speeds for generated platforms, between 20-200 MIPS on a typical workstation, enabling an OS to boot in tens of seconds.
Customize to model your exact system
Fast Models provides a portfolio of models that are flexible and can easily be customized using parameters to test different configurations. Using the System Canvas tool you can model your own IP and integrate it with existing model components.
Test architecture compliance
Fast Models provides Architecture Envelope Models (AEMs) for Arm®v8‑A, Arm®v9‑A, Arm®v8‑R, and Arm®v8‑M. These are specialist architectural models that are used by Arm and by Arm® architecture licensees to validate that implementations are compliant with the architecture definition.
Build once, run anywhere
Since the same binary runs on the model, the target development hardware, and the final product, you only need to build it using the Arm® toolchain.
Host platform compatibility
Fast Models supports x86-64 host platforms running Linux or Microsoft Windows, and Arm® AArch64 hosts running Linux. For details, see Requirements for Fast Models.