Writing Testbenches: Functional Verification of HDL Models / Edition 2

by Janick Bergeron

Overview

mental improvements during the same period. What is clearly needed in verification techniques and technology is the equivalent of a synthesis productivity breakthrough. In the second edition of Writing Testbenches, Bergeron raises the verification level of abstraction by introducing coverage-driven constrained-random transaction-level self-checking testbenches­ all made possible through the introduction of hardware verification languages (HVLs), such as e from Verisity and OpenVera from Synopsys. The state-of-art methodologies described in Writing Test­ benches will contribute greatly to the much-needed equivalent of a synthesis breakthrough in verification productivity. I not only highly recommend this book, but also I think it should be required reading by anyone involved in design and verification of today's ASIC, SoCs and systems. Harry Foster Chief Architect Verplex Systems, Inc. xviii Writing Testbenches: Functional Verification of HDL Models PREFACE If you survey hardware design groups, you will learn that between 60% and 80% of their effort is now dedicated to verification.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402074011
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	02/28/2003
Edition description:	2nd ed. 2003
Pages:	478
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

About the Author

Janick Bergeron is the author of the Fatbrain.com bestseller Writing Testbenches: Functional Verification of HDL Models. He first worked on in-house simulation, synthesis, and static timing analysis tools at Nortel Networks in Ottawa, Canada. He was one of the architects of Nortel Networks' design verification process, which resulted in the first-time success of a completely new 10 GB ATM switch. Janick has been a methodology consultant for the past six years and has helped companies improve their verification processes, testbench implementations, and design quality. He has also helped verify various types of designs, including video CODECs, automated test equipment, and network components.

Table of Contents

1 What is Verification?.- What is a Testbench?.- The Importance of Verification.- Reconvergence Model.- The Human Factor.- What Is Being Verified?.- Functional Verification Approaches.- Testing Versus Verification.- Design and Verification Reuse.- The Cost of Verification.- Summary.- 2 Verification Tools.- Linting Tools.- Simulators.- Verification Intellectual Property.- Waveform Viewers.- Functional Coverage.- Verification Languages.- Assertions.- Revision Control.- Issue Tracking.- Metrics.- Summary.- 3 The Verification Plan.- The Role of the Verification Plan.- Levels of Verification.- Verification Strategies.- From Specification to Features.- Directed Testbenches Approach.- Coverage-Driven Random-Based Approach.- Summary.- 4 High-Level Modeling.- Behavioral versus RTL Thinking.- You Gotta Have Style!.- Structure of Behavioral Code.- Data Abstraction.- Object-Oriented Programming.- Aspect-Oriented Programming.- The Parallel Simulation Engine.- Race Conditions.- Verilog Portability Issues.- Summary.- 5 Stimulus and Response.- Reference Signals.- Simple Stimulus.- Simple Output.- Complex Stimulus.- Bus-Functional Models.- Response Monitors.- Transaction-Level Interface.- Summary.- 6 Architecting Testbenches.- Test Harness.- VHDL Test Harness.- Design Configuration.- Self-Checking Testbenches.- Directed Stimulus.- Random Stimulus.- Summary.- 7 Simulation Management.- Behavioral Models.- Pass or Fail?.- Managing Simulations.- Regression.- Summary.- Appendix A Coding Guidelines.- Directory Structure.- VHDL Specific.- Verilog Specific.- General Coding Guidelines.- Comments.- Layout.- Syntax.- Debugging.- Naming Guidelines.- Capitalization.- Identifiers.- Constants.- HDL & HVL Specific.- Filenames.- HDL Coding Guidelines.- Structure.- Layout.- VHDL Specific.- Verilog Specific.- Appendix B Glossary.- Afterwords.

What People are Saying About This

Chris Macinonski

In the latest edition, Mr. Bergeron continues to keep pace with the industry while providing world-class solutions to the verification problem...
—Senior Engineer, Qualis Design Corp.

Brian Bailey

Many companies out there now owe their current verification methodologies to this book. From it they have learned the secrets of efficiency, effectiveness and re-use as they apply to verification...
—Chief Technologist, Mentor Graphics Corp.

Ben Cohen

A must have bible for understanding verification issues and techniques with HDLs and HVLs, and for writing effective, readable and reusable testbenches within a best-in-class verification process.
—VhdlCohen Training

Grant Martin

Brilliant. Janick Bergeron has built on his ground-breaking first version of Writing Testbenches in this second edition...
—Fellow, Cadence Berkeley Labs

Foreword

Building on the first edition, " ...the most successful and popular contemporary verification textbook", the author raises the verification level of abstraction by introducing coverage-driven constrained random transaction-level self-checking testbenches - all made possible through the introduction of hardware verification languages (HVLs) such as e from Verisity and OpenVera from Synopsys...." Harry Foster, Chief Architect, Verplex Systems, Inc.

Editorial Reviews

"Brilliant. Janick Bergeron has built on his ground-breaking first version of Writing Testbenches in this second edition..."

(Grant Martin, Fellow, Cadence Berkeley Labs)

"In the latest edition, Mr. Bergeron continues to keep pace with the industry while providing world-class solutions to the verification problem..."

(Chris Macinonski, Senior Engineer, Qualis Design Corp.)

"Many companies out there now owe their current verification methodologies to this book. From it they have learned the secrets of efficiency, effectiveness and re-use as they apply to verification..."

(Brian Bailey, Chief Technologist, Mentor Graphics Corp.)

"A must have bible for understanding verification issues and techniques with HDLs and HVLs, and for writing effective, readable and reusable testbenches within a best-in-class verification process."

(Ben Cohen, VhdlCohen Training)

From the Publisher