Agile HW Design: Fully Automatic Equivalence Checking Workflow


A new technical paper titled "An Equivalence Checking Framework for Agile Hardware Design" was published by researchers at Portland State University and Intel. Abstract "Agile hardware design enables designers to produce new design iterations efficiently. Equivalence checking is critical in ensuring that a new design iteration conforms to its specification. In this paper, we introduce an eq... » read more

Formal Verification Of AI Processor Datapaths In Automotive Applications


There aren’t many electronic applications that require correctness, safety, and security more than automobiles and other road vehicles. Owners rely on their cars operating properly and reliably at all times. The very lives of drivers, passengers, and those nearby are at risk if a vehicle misbehaves. The situation grows more serious with every innovation in automotive electronics. With a mo... » read more

Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions (CHERI) For Verification, With Better Memory Safety (Oxford)


A technical paper titled "A Formal CHERI-C Semantics for Verification" was published by researchers at University of Oxford. Abstract: "CHERI-C extends the C programming language by adding hardware capabilities, ensuring a certain degree of memory safety while remaining efficient. Capabilities can also be employed for higher-level security measures, such as software compartmentalization, ... » read more

Can ML Help Verification? Maybe


Functional verification produces an enormous amount of data that could be used to train a machine learning system, but it's not always clear which data is useful or whether it can help. The challenge with ML is understanding when and where to use it, and how to integrate it with other tools and approaches. With a big enough hammer, it is tempting to call everything a nail, and just throwing ... » read more

Graph-Based, Formal Equivalence Checking Method


A new research paper titled "Equivalence Checking of System-Level and SPICE-Level Models of Linear Circuits" was published by researchers at University of Bremen and DFKI GmbH. Abstract: "Due to the increasing complexity of analog circuits and their integration into System-on-Chips (SoC), the analog design and verification industry would greatly benefit from an expansion of system-level met... » read more

Verification Scorecard: How Well Is The Industry Doing?


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss how well verification tools and methodologies have been keeping up with demand, with Larry Lapides, vice president of sales for Imperas Software; Mike Thompson, director of engineering for the verification task group at OpenHW; Paul Graykowski, technical marketing manager for Arteris IP; Shantanu Ganguly, vice president of product marketing at Caden... » read more

Formal Verification Ensures The Perseverance Rover Lands Safely On Mars


By Joe Hupcey III and Kevin Campbell Safely landing a spacecraft anywhere on Mars is a complex, high-risk challenge. Even worse, the most scientifically interesting areas of the planet are guarded by boulders, ditches, and tall cliffs — land formations that aren’t very welcoming to vehicles. Such was the case with the Mars Perseverance Rover's Landing Site: Jezero Crater. It’s not an e... » read more

Measuring The Complexity Of Processor Bugs To Improve Testbench Quality


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

Shifting The Design Paradigm To Improve Verification Efficiency


We are in the midst of a verification crisis manifested by a growing gap between verification efficiency and effectiveness. This crisis cannot be solved through improvements in verification methodologies and techniques alone. Indeed, it requires a philosophical change in the way we approach design, with an emphasis on bug prevention. We refer to this fundamental change as design using intent-fo... » read more

Comparing Formal And Simulation Code Coverage


There is a difference in semantics between code coverage generated from a simulator engine and code coverage generated from a formal engine. This paper seeks to raise the awareness of verification engineers on how best to make use of the code coverage data generated by different verification engines. The paper lays out the reasons for using code coverage and describes how simulation code covera... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →