Intel/WindRiver Simics is a functional full-system simulator (similar to QEMU emulator by its ideas) for many platforms, particularly Intel ones.
This reference card covers the basics of Simics usage and programming in DML 1.4 language, using Simics script, and C/Python API.
There are 2 equivalent visual representations available for download:
| file | |
|---|---|
| A4 landscape 3-column, small font, 5 pp. | simics-cheatsheet.pdf |
| A4 portrait 1-column, large font, 18 pp. | simics-cheatsheet-large.pdf |
- emulation — modelling for real usage of some software, e.g. if a program is not supported in a host OS, then it can be used in a guest OS inside the emulator
- simulation — modelling for investigation, research, e.g. verifying behavior of BIOS/UEFI or OS drivers of guest.
Simics is normally used for simulation but can be used for emulation.
Emulation/simulation are also differentiated by whether they are:
- user mode — when not all aspects of a target system are modelled, but some functions/devices are actually provided by the host OS
- full system — complete modelling of a target system, and all functions/devices are provided by the simulator/emulator itself
Simics is a full system simulator/emulator only.
Also simulators can be:
- cycle-accurate — timings are modelled accurately
- instruction-accurate — otherwise
Simics is an instruction-accurate (aka functional) simulator — timings are not modelled (accurately), signals neither, only software-visible functions are.
Run make or compile directly with xelatex command.
Nunito font has to be installed and some common TexLive packages.
The diagrams are drawn in yEd diagram editor
with both .graphml and .pdf placed in the repo (note that for editing
diagrams one has to manually export .graphml to .pdf as
yEd doesn't have an option for command line conversion and its
free license doesn't allow any automated flow).