SystemC is essentially a C++ library used for modeling concurrent systems in C++. Along with concurrency, SystemC provides a notion of timing as well as an event driven simulations environment. Due to it’s concurrent and sequential nature, SystemC allows the description and integration of complex hardware and software components.

 To some extent, SystemC can be seen as a Hardware Description Language. However, unlike VHDL or Verilog, SystemC provides sophisticated mechanisms that offer high abstraction levels on components interfaces. This, in turn, facilitates the integration of systems using different abstraction levels.

Further more SystemC isn’t a new language, it is C++. Consequently existing software IP can be seamlessly linked into a SystemC project.

These tutorials will focus on the strong connection between C++ and SystemC by making the analogy between Hardware modeling and Object-Oriented modeling.

The first tutorial will look at the creation of Hardware components in C++.

The second tutorial will highlight the benefits of a SystemC implementation. In the third tutorial, a worked example will allow you to gain experience with the steps involved in the creation, and simulation, of a SystemC design.

Subsequent tutorials will explore specific aspects of the language in more detail.