This paper presents an approach for cycle-accurate simulation of embedded software by integration in an abstract SystemC model. Compared to existing simulation-based approaches, we present a hybrid method that resolves performance issues by combining the advantages of simulation-based and analytical approaches. In a first step, cycle-accurate static execution time analysis is applied at each basic block of a cross-compiled binary program using static pro-cessor models. After that, the determined timing information is back-annotated into SystemC for fast simulation of all effects that can not be resolved statically. This allows the consideration of data dependencies during run-time and the incorporation of branch pre-diction and cache models by efficient source code instrumentation. The major benefit of our approach is that the generated code can be executed very efficiently on the simulation host with approxi-mately 90 % of the speed of the untimed software without any code instrumentation.

The application of a cycle accurate binary translator for rapid prototyping of SoCs is presented. This translator generates code to run on a rapid prototyping system consisting of a VLIW processor and FPGAs. The generated code is annotated with information that triggers cycle generation for the hardware in parallel with the execution of the translated program. The VLIW processor executes the translated program whereas the FPGAs contain the hardware for the parallel cycle generation and the bits interface that adapts the bits of the VLIW processor to the SoC bits of the emulated processor core.