Method for adaptive test generation via feedback from dynamic emulation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for adaptively generating test vectors used to verify the behavior of a digital system, the apparatus comprising:
- a hardware model representing a relatively low-level software characterization of the digital system;
a hardware emulator representing a relatively high-level software characterization of the digital system, wherein the hardware emulator is capable of dynamically representing internal model state information;
a test generator for generating and applying a plurality of input vectors to the hardware model and the hardware emulator to produce a directed behavior; and
one or more verification directives which characterize attributes desired in the functional testing system and which direct the behavior of the test generator, wherein the test generator accesses the internal model state information represented within the hardware emulator to adaptively generate the plurality of input vectors as directed by the one or more verification directives.
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Abstract
A function for adaptively generating test vectors to verify the behavior of a digital system. The function utilizes one or more user-defined verification directives for directing the generation of the test vectors to areas of interest within the digital system. An emulator of the digital system provides dynamic feedback of internal state information to the test vector generation function during the verification. The test vector generation function adaptively generates future verification test vectors based on the user-defined verification directives in view of the internal state information feedback received from the emulator.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for adaptively generating test vectors used to verify the behavior of a digital system, the apparatus comprising:
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a hardware model representing a relatively low-level software characterization of the digital system;
a hardware emulator representing a relatively high-level software characterization of the digital system, wherein the hardware emulator is capable of dynamically representing internal model state information;
a test generator for generating and applying a plurality of input vectors to the hardware model and the hardware emulator to produce a directed behavior; and
one or more verification directives which characterize attributes desired in the functional testing system and which direct the behavior of the test generator, wherein the test generator accesses the internal model state information represented within the hardware emulator to adaptively generate the plurality of input vectors as directed by the one or more verification directives. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for adaptively generating test vectors to verify the behavior of a digital system, the method comprising:
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defining a hardware model representing a relatively low-level software characterization of the digital system;
defining a hardware emulator representing a relatively high-level software characterization of the digital system, wherein the hardware emulator is capable of dynamically representing internal model state information;
generating a plurality of input vectors to produce a directed behavior within the hardware model, wherein the generation utilizes the internal model state information represented within the hardware emulator; and
applying the plurality of input vectors to the hardware emulator and the hardware model, producing the directed behavior. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for adaptively generating test vectors for verifying the behavior of a digital system, comprising the steps of:
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defining a hardware model representing a relatively low-level software characterization of the digital system;
defining a hardware emulator representing a relatively high-level software characterization of the digital system, wherein the hardware emulator is capable of dynamically representing internal model state information;
generating a plurality of input vectors to produce a directed behavior within the hardware model, wherein the generation utilizes the internal model state information represented within the hardware emulator; and
applying the plurality of input vectors to the hardware emulator and the hardware model, producing the directed behavior.
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Specification