Patent ID: 7366650

Claim:
A method of simulating a system having a software component and a hardware component, said method comprising the steps of: (i) modelling operation of said software component using a software simulator; (ii) modelling operation of said hardware component using a hardware simulator; (iii) linking said hardware simulator and said software simulator to model interaction between said modelled operation of said hardware component and said modelled operation of said software component; (iv) generating with a test controller, during said modelling of software and hardware components and said interaction, a software stimulus for said software component and a hardware stimulus for said hardware component, said software stimulus and said hardware stimulus are associated so as to permit verification of correct interoperability of said software component and said hardware component, wherein said modelled interaction between said software component and said hardware component proceeds independently of said test controller; (v) modelling the response of said software component to said software stimulus; and (vi) modelling the response of said hardware component to said hardware stimulus, wherein said software stimulus is passed to said software simulator by issuing a remote procedure call from said test controller to said software simulator.