A method and apparatus for developing multicore microcomputer-based systems. A dual core controller model having at least one parameter is simulated and, similarly, a plant model having at least one parameter and controlled by the controller model is also simulated. The user interface then has access to the parameters of the controller model and plant model and optionally suspends execution of the controller model and plant model in response to a trigger event. The user interface determines the status of the various controller model parameters for both cores and/or plant model parameters at the time of the trigger without altering the controller model parameters or the plant model parameters. The core parameters for both cores are displayed on a display device.