Equivalence checking between SLM and TLM using coverage directed simulation

doi:10.1007/s11704-015-4257-0

Front. Comput. Sci.

2015, Vol. 9

Issue (6) : 934-943 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-015-4257-0

REVIEW ARTICLE

Equivalence checking between SLM and TLM using coverage directed simulation

Jian HU(

), Tun LI, Sikun LI

School of Computer, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

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Abstract

The increasing complexity of digital systems makes designers begin to design using abstract system level modeling (SLM). However, SLM brings new challenges for verification engineers to guarantee the functional equivalence between SLM specifications and lower-level implementations such as those of transaction level modeling (TLM). This paper proposes a novel method for equivalence checking between SLM and TLM based on coverage directed simulation. Our method randomly simulates an SLM model and uses an satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solver to generate stimuli for the uncovered area with the direction of a composite coverage metric (code coverage and functional coverage). Then we run all the generated stimuli (random stimuli and direct stimuli) on both SLM and TLM designs. At the same time, the selected observation variables are compared to evaluate the equivalence between SLM and TLM. Promising experimental results show that our equivalence checking method is more efficient with lower simulation cost.

Keywords system level modeling transaction level modeling equivalence checking composite coverage SMT

Corresponding Author(s): Jian HU

Just Accepted Date: 31 December 2014 Issue Date: 10 November 2015

Cite this article:

Jian HU,Tun LI,Sikun LI. Equivalence checking between SLM and TLM using coverage directed simulation[J]. Front. Comput. Sci., 2015, 9(6): 934-943.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcs/EN/10.1007/s11704-015-4257-0
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcs/EN/Y2015/V9/I6/934

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