Discrete-event simulation using systemC: interactive semiconductor factory modeling with FabSim

Semiconductor fabrication factories are large enterprises with many toolsets, each having multiple production machines. The process flow is highly reentrant, therefore modeling is best done by discrete-event simulation. To describe such a fab, the author has developed a new discrete event simulator called FabSim. It is written in C++. As the simulation engine it uses systemC, a C++ class library originally developed for modeling "systems on a chip". The factory with its machines and lots traveling and in process is mapped onto systemC like a hardware description during RTL (register transfer) modeling. The resulting simulator is compact, fast and efficient. In a special configuration as a MS Windows dynamic link library, the simulator is fully interactive. At any time you may define a stop in the simulation flow, retrieve the state of the whole system, change parameters, add lots, or even enter a new state and continue with the simulation.