An optimal charge balancing model for fast distributed SystemC simulation in IP/SoC design

In this paper, we present a novel systematic approach to resolve the problem of charge balancing to reduce the simulation time for distributed simulation models. Our model is based on an exact method and permits obtaining an optimal repartition of the SystemC modules constituting a SoC on several simulators in geographically distributed hosts, connected through a network (Internet, Intranet). The model is an integer linear program with Boolean variables, where the objective is to minimize the simulation time, under some simple constraints. This keeps the program´s complexity very acceptable. The effectiveness of this approach is shown on a packet routing switch example.