1. A method of automatically generating a system level representation of a hardware module suitable for execution in a system-level simulator, the method comprising: (a) receiving a mapped netlist of a hardware module which mapped netlist comprises hardware cells, each specifying one or more hardware functions to be implemented on a corresponding hardware unit of a target hardware device, the hardware cells collectively comprising a mapped netlist; (b) accessing one or more un-parameterized system level units, each system level unit being a software class that represents generically one of said corresponding hardware units of the target hardware device; (c) instantiating the un-parameterized system level units to create system level instances, each programmed to perform the hardware functions of one of said hardware cells, each system-level instance being a software object that is coded in a general-purpose language; (d) creating a hardware implementation-independent system level netlist based on the mapped netlist using said system level instances, said system level netlist being distinct from said mapped netlist; and (e) compiling the system level netlist to produce an executable version of the system level representation, said executable version being simulation code suitable for execution in a system-level simulator; wherein the steps a-e is performed using one or more processor.