Processor-independent system-on-chip verification for embedded processor systems
First Claim
1. A method for developing verification software for verification of a system-on-chip design including an embedded processor, comprising:
- coding a processor driver for performing processor-specific operations on said embedded processor; and
coding said verification software to invoke said processor driver to perform said processor-specific operations, wherein said verification software is coded using only processor-independent function calls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for efficiently changing the embedded processor type in verification of system-on-chip (SOC) integrated circuit designs containing embedded processors. The verification software is used to generate and apply test cases to stimulate components of a SOC design (“cores”) in simulation; the results are observed and used to de-bug the design.
Typically, the embedded processor type changes as SOC designs change. However, changing the processor type may cause errors in verification due to the presence of processor-specific code distributed throughout the verification software. Thus, changing the processor type can entail a substantial re-write of the verification software.
In the method according to the present invention, in verification software for verifying a SOC design including an embedded processor, processor-specific code is localized in a processor driver. Consequently, when there is a need to change the processor type, only the processor driver needs to be changed or replaced, while the rest of verification code requires no changes. Verification is consequently more efficient.
113 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for developing verification software for verification of a system-on-chip design including an embedded processor, comprising:
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coding a processor driver for performing processor-specific operations on said embedded processor; and
coding said verification software to invoke said processor driver to perform said processor-specific operations, wherein said verification software is coded using only processor-independent function calls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 16)
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4. A method for performing verification of a system-on-chip design including an embedded processor, comprising:
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(a) providing verification code for applying a test case to said design;
(b) providing a processor driver for performing processor-specific operations on said embedded processor; and
(c) executing said verification code to invoke said processor driver to perform said processor-specific operations, wherein said executed verification code invokes said processor driver by only using processor-independent function calls. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 17)
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8. A computer-usable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing verification of a system-on-chip design including an embedded processor, said instructions comprising both a processor-independent portion and a processor-specific portion;
wherein said processor-independent portion invokes said processor-specific portion to perform processor-specific operations on said processor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 18)
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11. A system for performing verification of a system-on-chip design including an embedded processor, comprising:
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a simulator which simulates said system-on-chip design, a processor-specific driver which performs processor-specific operations on said embedded processor; and
verification software which invokes said processor-specific driver to perform said operations, wherein said verification software only uses processor-independent functions to invoke said processor-specific driver. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 19)
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Specification