Measuring The Complexity Of Processor Bugs To Improve Testbench Quality

By Philippe Luc - 28 Apr, 2022 - Comments: 0

I am often asked the question “When is the processor verification done?” or in other words “how do I measure the efficiency of my testbench and how can I be confident in the quality of the verification?” There is no easy answer. There are several common indicators used in the industry such as coverage and bug curve. While they are absolutely necessary, these are not enough to reach the ... » read more

Improve Your Verification Methodology: Hunt Bugs Flying In Squadrons

By Philippe Luc - 24 Mar, 2022 - Comments: 0

After analyzing bugs on several generations of CPUs, I came to the conclusion that “bugs fly in squadrons.” In other words, when a bug is found in a given area of the design, the probability that there are other bugs with similar conditions, in the same area of the design, is quite high. Processor bugs don’t fly alone Finding a CPU bug is always satisfying, however it should not be an e... » read more