Introduction

In computer science, there is a growing gap between what technology can do and our ability to design such systems. This is known as the design gap. Systems-on-chips (SoCs) pack in numerous components, from CPUs and GPUs to accelerators and wireless functions, making them more intricate than entire 1990s desktop computers. Manufacturing and understanding these integrated circuits is impossible without electronic design automation (EDA) tools. The traditional sequential design phases—specification, HW design, and software design—lead to time inefficiencies and the risk of project failures due to wrong design decisions. Virtual prototyping, by allowing simultaneous software and hardware development, addresses these challenges, reducing development time by half. However, the combination of software and hardware in embedded systems demands not only verified functionality but also increased security. While virtual prototyping has gained popularity, modeling and verification processes still are mostly manual efforts. The need for stable, open source RISC-V VPs is emphasized to accelerate innovation and improve product quality. The challenges include the long development time, inefficient design space exploration, inadequate re-use of intermediate models, lack of early system analysis tools, and a high verification hurdle.