Accellera Launches Federated Simulation Standard Working Group

The Accellera Systems Initiative has taken a significant step forward in the realm of chip design by establishing a Working Group dedicated to enhancing the interoperability of simulators, models, and other components. Known as the Accellera Federated Simulation Standard (FSS) Working Group (WG), its primary objective is to foster cross-industry collaboration aimed at improving the interoperability of product and environment simulation, models, and components through the utilization of both existing and new open standards.

As the FSS WG progresses in the development of the standard and open infrastructure, it is actively seeking alignment with other established standards such as ED-247 in avionics, FMI/FMU in automotive, and SMP2 in the space industry. By tapping into cross-industry synergies, the WG is also striving to harmonize its efforts with open collaboration and innovation consortia, thereby ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to interoperability.

The necessity for a federated simulation ecosystem has long been recognized, with various standards and technologies emerging over the years to address this need. However, many existing solutions tend to be industry or application-specific, lacking the broader scope required for seamless interoperability across different industrial sectors. This cross-industry perspective has gained prominence due to the increasing diversity of companies within supply chains, necessitating the sharing and integration of a wide array of models, simulators, and components.

Lu Dai, Chair of Accellera, emphasized the widespread interest from companies across diverse industries in consolidating the requirements for a federated simulation ecosystem during the Proposed Working Group period. He highlighted Accellera's commitment to fostering collaboration within the electronics industry to drive innovation and establish universal standards that enhance design and verification productivity for electronics products.

Martin Barnasconi, Accellera Technical Committee Chair and Chair of the FSS Working Group, outlined the vision for the Federated Simulation Standard, emphasizing the development of a standardized interface to facilitate interoperability of modeling and simulation across the product lifecycle. By connecting existing industry standards and formats, the working group aims to streamline the modeling, integration, and simulation of complex systems and systems-of-systems.