DEPEND: a simulation environment for system dependability modeling and evaluation

DEPEND is an evolving simulation-based environment for the evaluation of designs from functional and dependability viewpoints. DEPEND supports the VHDL hardware descriptive language as well as the C++ programming language. In addition, DEPEND provides a graphical modeling facility to allow interactive model construction. Designs under evaluation can be functional or structural descriptions of the designs. The Task & Environment Manager provides an easy-access, window-based manual page and a tool-kit to allow users to create, modify, and simulate models without leaving the DEPEND environment. At the core of DEPEND are simulation engines supported by a fault injector, a set of fault dictionaries, and component libraries. DEPEND employs a hierarchical modeling and simulation approach that is intended to allow design evaluation starting from the device-level physical construct to the chip-level functional behavior, and up to the system-level dependability.