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Standard SystemC AMS Extensions 2.0

The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard introduces system-level design and modeling of embedded Analog/Mixed-Signal (AMS) systems. The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard was developed by the SystemC AMS working group (AMSWG) and provides unique capabilities for the design and modeling of embedded analog/mixed-signal applications at higher levels of design abstraction. The SystemC AMS extensions define a uniform and standardized modeling approach that can be used in combination with digitally-oriented ESL design methods, supporting a design refinement methodology for functional modeling, architecture exploration, and virtual prototyping of embedded analog/mixed-signal systems.

"With SystemC AMS 2.0 we have defined a compelling system-level mixed-signal modeling standard essential to the design of heterogeneous embedded systems where analog, digital and software functionality comes together. As evidenced by the growing industry support, I'm confident that SystemC AMS will emerge soon in advanced system-level design tools and flows to tackle the development challenges of complex mixed-signal ICs and systems."

Martin Barnasconi, SystemC AMS Working Group chair

 

Download the SystemC AMS 2.0 Standard

The SystemC AMS 2.0 is defined in the the AMS Language Reference Manual (LRM) and is now available for download. Access to the LRM is subject to the terms of the SystemC Open Source License. The requirements specification and User's Guide, the comprehensive manual explaining all fundamentals of the AMS language standard, are part of the prior release of the standard, SystemC AMS 1.0 standard, which can be found at the same page.


Publications on the SystemC AMS Extensions

Get connected to the SystemC AMS user community

SystemC users, system architects, ESL tool developers and AMS engineers are encouraged to start interacting with the SystemC AMS working group using the public AMS discussion forum. Member employees can participate in the AMS working group, which will continue to advance the SystemC AMS standard, addressing important topics for future releases.

 

Industry appreciation and support

The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard has been primarily developed by European semiconductor companies, supported by research institutes and universities. As part of the AMS 2.0 release, a quote sheet has been made to underline the growing industry appreciation and support for this standard. 


Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the main reason for defining the SystemC AMS 2.0 standard?

The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard fulfills the need of the electronics industry to have a standardized system-level modeling language for mixed-signal applications based on SystemC. The AMS standard defines the execution semantics and language constructs for system-level design and modeling of embedded analog/mixed-signal systems at higher levels of abstraction, focusing on modeling accuracy, fidelity and simulation speed.

How do the SystemC AMS extensions fit into the spectrum with existing hardware description languages?

The SystemC AMS extensions focus on the system-level and architecture modeling aspects for mixed-signal  applications, such as communcation, RF, automotive and sensor applications. By having AMS extensions for SystemC, users can now create mixed-signal virtual prototypes to make an executable description of the entire system in a C++ based manner, enabling a seamless integration of HW/SW architectures in SystemC-TLM, software in C, and mixed-signal functions described using the SystemC AMS extensions.

How can the user community interact with the SystemC AMS working group?

The SystemC community members can interact with the AMS working group by joining the AMS discussion forum. The forum can be used to discuss or ask questions on how to use the new AMS language.

Is there a proof-of-concept simulator available that supports the SystemC AMS extensions?

The SystemC AMS Language Reference Manual was developed to facilitate the creation of new implementations compliant with this new standard. Similar to the introduction of SystemC, Accellera Systems Initiative expects that the industry will support the SystemC AMS extensions over time. Availability of an AMS standard-compliant proof-of-concept simulator will be communicated via the AMS discussion forum.

Why doesn't the AMS 2.0 standard contain any header files or other source files? Where can I get such files?

The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard only consists of the language reference manual and does not include an implementation. Commercial and open-source implementations are currently appearing on the market. One such implementation is described in a press release from the Fraunhofer Institut for Integrated Circuits.

Does Accellera Systems Initiative target the development of an open source proof-of-concept implementation?

The primary objective of Accellera Systems Initiative is to develop design automation (EDA) and intellectual property (IP) standards for use by the worldwide electronics industry. Accellera Systems Initiative will encourage and promote the availability of an open-source proof-of-concept implementation via its member organizations.

I found a simulator called "SystemC-AMS" on www.systemc-ams.org. Is this simulator compatible with the SystemC AMS 2.0 Standard?

The website www.systemc-ams.org is not owned or maintained by Accellera Systems Initiative, but by the former study group who explored AMS capabilities in SystemC some years ago. The information available on this website is completely independent from any Accellera Systems Initiative publication or release. Instead, one of the Accellera Systems Inititative members, Fraunhofer Institut for Integrated Circuits (IIS) department EAS, released a proof-of-concept implementation compliant with SystemC AMS 1.0 standard. You can download this proof-of-concept implementation here.

Which industries are using the SystemC AMS extensions?

At the SystemC AMS Day 2011, semiconductor, automotive and EDA industry presented the practical usage of the SystemC AMS standard in a wide variety of applications. This event clearly showed the industry adoption of SystemC AMS. As part of the AMS 2.0 release, a quote sheet has been made to underline the growing industry appreciation and support for this standard.

Is the SystemC AMS language supported by commercial EDA tools?

Please contact your local EDA vendor representative whether SystemC AMS is supported. As SystemC AMS is built on top of SystemC, it is expected that any SystemC IEEE Std 1666-2011 compatible simulator can cope with the SystemC AMS capabilities. A SystemC AMS standard compliant implementation will likely be based on C++ classes, which can be easily linked to any commercial SystemC simulator.

I would like to learn more about the SystemC AMS extensions. Where can I find books, courses, or other training materials?

Recommended is to start reading the user's guide, which is part of the SystemC AMS 1.0 standard. It explains all fundamentals of the AMS language and how to use the extensive set of features for AMS behavioral modeling at the system level. In addition, the AMS working group members will continue to promote SystemC and the AMS extensions, and will be providing periodic updates at many workshops, tutorials, and conferences. The European "Beyond DREAMS" project did spend significant time in developing and deploying SystemC AMS. The traning material can be found here. In addition, industry presentations can be found as part of the proceedings of the SystemC AMS Day 2011.

What are the differences between SystemC AMS 1.0 and AMS 2.0?

The SystemC AMS 2.0 standard introduces new language constructs to support a more dynamic and reactive behaviour when using the Timed Data Flow (TDF) modeling style. When using the new member fuctions, the TDF timestep, rate and delays can be changed during simulation. Furthermore, the language has been made compatible with the latest SystemC standard, IEEE Std 1666-2011. More information on the differences between AMS 1.0 and AMS 2.0 can be found in the Annex of the SystemC AMS 2.0 LRM.

Is there already a simulator supporting the SystemC AMS 1.0 standard? And when can we expect support for the AMS 2.0 standard?

Please contact your local EDA vendor representative whether SystemC AMS is supported. One of the Accellera Systems Initiative members, Fraunhofer Institut for Integrated Circuits (IIS) department EAS, released a proof-of-concept implementation compliant with SystemC AMS 1.0 standard, which can be downloaded here. The AMS 2.0 standard is defined to facilitate the creation of implementations compliant with this standard update. It is expected that Accellera members will support the SystemC AMS 2.0 standard over time. 

Is there an updated user's guide for the SystemC AMS 2.0 standard?

The user's guide is part of the SystemC AMS 1.0 release and explains the basic concepts of SystemC AMS. The AMS working group members will continue to work on the user's guide update for AMS 2.0 to document all new capabilities of the SystemC AMS language, including examples and detailed explanations of the dynamic and reactive modeling features.

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