Functional Verification - a holistic view

🎉 Functional Verification - A Holistic View 🎓

Overview 🤖

Functional Verification is a critical aspect of the ASIC design cycle, often described as a time-consuming yet fundamental step that ensures electronic systems perform as intended. Despite its significance, comprehensive introductory courses on this topic are surprisingly scarce. Traditionally, educational institutions and industry vendors have focused on language-specific training, leaving a gap in foundational understanding for functional verification. This course bridges that gap by providing an extensive introduction to the various facets of functional verification, including testbench architectures, simulation, formal methods, emulation, and more. It is designed to cover all aspects from verification architecture to building effective testbenches, and addressing challenges at different stages of the process.

Objectives 🎯

• Understand the Essentials: Explore what verification entails, why it's crucial for design success, and the methodologies involved in achieving reliable results.
• Testbench Architectures: Examine the different types of testbench architectures used in the industry and understand their strengths and weaknesses.
• Methodology Guidelines: Learn about widely used guidelines and appreciate the importance of a structured verification approach.
• Industry Jargon: Eliminate confusion with buzzwords and terminologies frequently used in the field of functional verification.
• Verification Stages: Get acquainted with the different stages involved in functional verification, from RTL simulation to gate-level simulation and emulation, and the unique challenges they present.

Table of Contents 📚

Session 1: Introduction

• ASIC Design Flow
• Paradigm Shift in Verification
• The Verification Challenge
• A Quick Verification 101

Session 2: Different Verification Technologies

• Simulation based Verification
  • Equivalence Checking
  • Model Checking
  • Theorem Proving
• FPGA-based Emulation
• Processor-based Emulation

Session 3: Metric Driven Verification (MDV)

• Code Coverage
• Assertion Coverage (Control Centric)
• Functional Coverage (Data Centric)

Session 4: Writing Testbenches

• What is a Testbench?
• Basic Testbenches
  • Rudimentary Testbenches
  • TCL Based Testbenches
  • HDL Based Testbenches (Basic Approaches)

Session 5: Coverage Measurement in Verification

• What is Coverage?
• Types of Coverage
  • Line Coverage
  • Condition Coverage
  • Toggle Coverage
  • FSM Coverage
  • Functional Coverage

Session 6: Gate Level Simulation (GLS) & SDF Annotation

• Understanding Gate Level Simulation
• SDF Annotation and Typical Timing Violations

Session 7: Regressions - Keeping the Design Stable

• Need for Regressions
• Verification Management Strategies

Session 8: Tips & Tricks, Best Known Methods (BKMs)

• Coding Tips for Efficient Verification
• Methodology Notes and Summary

Join us on this comprehensive journey through the world of functional verification. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or new to the field, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of ASIC design verification with confidence. 🔬✨