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Teaching Functional Verification – Course Organization. Design Automation Conference Sunday, June 9, 2002. Course Goals. Learn to use verification tools and experiment on actual designs used in industry Verisity Specman, IBM Rulebase Cadence NC-Sim VHDL simulation framework
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Teaching Functional Verification – Course Organization Design Automation Conference Sunday, June 9, 2002
Course Goals • Learn to use verification tools and experiment on actual designs used in industry • Verisity Specman, IBM Rulebase • Cadence NC-Sim VHDL simulation framework • Learn to plan and carry out effective functional verification of a design • Learn to work in teams to debug designs
Desired Outcome • By the end of the course the student will • Have verified three example designs provided by IBM • Have an understanding of why verification is important • Have an understanding of the complexity of verifying modern computer systems
Grading • Grade breakdown (Used at Penn State) • Midterm Exam: 20% • Final Exam: 20% • Verification Projects (~4): 45% (3 Calc Labs + 1 ruleBase) • Homework (~3): 15% (VHDL Background Check; e coding; rulebase) • Exams replaced with lab-oriented grading at UPitt • Final Exam was lab-based at Penn State
Prerequisites • Hardware description language • VHDL or Verilog (MANDATORY) • Use of modern EDA tools • simulation, synthesis, validation (Synopsys) • schematic capture tools (LogicWorks) • Logic design/Computer architecture • logical minimization, FSMs, component design, pipelining, ISA design
Prerequisites - Instructors • Find a good T.A. • Familiar with HDL;willing to explore tools • Tools: Licensing Information • Interfaced Specman with Mentor Graphics (Pitt, NC State) and Cadence tools (Penn State) • Quick Start • Specman - CPU tutorial; ebasics slides • Rulebase – Buffer tutorial
Course Textbook/Notes • Janick’s textbook was used • Pitt and Penn State –“e based” • Covered first 3 chapters • Relied on Specman/Verification Advisor • IBM slides for rulebase • NCState –“VHDL based” • Supplemented with VHDL reference books
Course Outline – Penn State Week 1: What is verification? (Chapt 1 of Janick's book; industry perspective) Week 2: Behavioral VHDL - refresher and writing testbenches – HW1 (VHDL) Week 3: Verification tools; Coverage metrics (Chap 2 of Janick’s book) Week 4: Behind the simulation engine – event and cycle simulation Week 5: Introduction to Specman and e language basics – (ebasics slides) – HW2 (e basics) Week 6: Lab 1 introduction/Specman – CPU tutorial Week 7: Verification plan – strategies/testcases/testbenches (Chap 3; VA) Week 8: Lab 1 solution discussion + Lab 2 introduction + Exam 1 Week 9: More e language constructs Week 10: Modeling structs;I/O blocks; data items– (VA) Week 11: Lab 2 Solutions and Lab 3 discussion Week 12: Modeling input relations/intervals/events – (VA) Week 13: Lab 3 solutions + Introduction to Formal Verification + Lab 4 Week 14: Introduction to Rulebase/ Rulebase lab Week 15: Exam review
Course Outline – Pittsburgh Week 1: What is verification? (Chapt 1 of Janick's book; industry perspective) Week 2: Hardware Functional Verification; review of Modelsim Week 3: Verification tools; Coverage metrics (Chap 2 of Janick’s book) Week 4: Behind the simulation engine – event and cycle simulation Week 5: Introduction to Specman and e language basics – Verisity Tutorial Week 6: Calc 1 Lab Week 7: Verification plan – strategies/testcases/testbenches (Chap 3; VA) Week 8: Calc 1 solution discussion + Calc 2 introduction Week 9: More e language constructs Week 10: Modeling structs;I/O blocks; data items– (VA) Week 11: Calc 2 Solutions and Calc 3 discussion Week 12: Modeling input relations/intervals/events – (VA) Week 13: Calc 3 solutions + Introduction to Formal Verification + Lab 4 Week 14: Introduction to Rulebase/ Rulebase lab Week 15: Rulebase lab
Course Outline – NC State Lectures 1-2 What is Verification? Chapter 1 Lecture 3 Verification Tools Chapter 2 Lectures 4-6 Verification Plan – Strategies/Testcases/Testbenches Chapter 3 Lectures 7-11 Architecting Testbenches Chapter 6 Lecture 12 Lab 1 Solution Discussion / Architecting Testbenches Chapter 6 Lecture 13 EXAM #1 – Chapters 1,2,3,6 Lecture 14 Lab 2 Overview / Stimulus and Response Chapter 5 Lecture 15 Review EXAM #1 Lectures 16-19 Stimulus and Response Chapter 5 Lectures 20,26 Special Topic Day - Online NetSeminar on new verification technologies Lecture 21 Lab 2 Solution Discussion Lectures 22-23 Behavioral HDL Chapter 4 Lecture 24 Lab 3 Overview / Behavioral HDL Chapter 4 Lecture 25 Simulation Management Chapter 7 Lecture 27 EXAM #2 – Chapters 5,4,7 Chapter 6 Lecture 28 Lab Day
Student Feedback • More quizzes/homework on “e” language • More time with labs especially “lab 3” • Work in groups on labs • Start earlier with Specman/e • Access to VA • Appreciate change from VHDL testbench to Specman environment (when doing lab 1 in dual form) • Appreciate change to Rulebase from Specman • Labs were most interesting part • More time with Rulebase