Method and system for arbitration verification

• US 9,069,919 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: QLogic Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: James, Philip P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/654,308
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 716/136, 710/100, 710/105, 710/107, 710/109, 710/111, 710/112, 710/305, 710/307, 710/309, 710/314
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods

Abstract

A method for providing port arbitration verification for a design under test (DUT) is provided. The method includes sampling the availability of ports at a predetermined number of clock cycles prior to an arbitration point. The method predicts a winner at each of the clock cycles and determines a verification result based on a match between one of the predicted winners and an actual arbitration winner for the DUT.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for providing arbitration verification, the method comprising:

sampling port availability information for a plurality of ports of a network application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) at at least one clock cycle in advance of an arbitration point;

determining a predicted arbitration winner for each of the at least one clock cycle in advance of the arbitration point, based in part on the port availability information, wherein the predicted arbitration winner identifies one of the plurality of ports to gain access to the ASIC;

comparing each predicted arbitration winner to an actual arbitration winner selected by a design under test (DUT) comprising the network ASIC at the arbitration point;

determining a verification fail unless the arbitration winner matches at least one predicted arbitration winner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on priority.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on a round robin protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on a weighted round robin protocol.

5. A machine-implemented method for providing arbitration verification, the method comprising:

sampling port availability information for a plurality of ports of a network ASIC at least one clock cycle in advance of an arbitration point;

determining a predicted arbitration winner for each of the at least one clock cycle in advance of the arbitration point, based in part on the port availability information, wherein the predicted arbitration winner identifies one of the plurality of ports to gain access to the ASIC;

comparing each predicted arbitration winner to an actual arbitration winner selected by a design under test comprising the network ASIC at the arbitration point;

updating a reference model based on a matching predicted arbitration winner when the actual arbitration winner matches a predicted arbitration winner.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined for a plurality of clock cycles prior to the arbitration point.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on priority.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on port bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on a round robin protocol.

10. A machine-implemented method for providing arbitration verification, the method comprising:

sampling port availability information for a plurality of ports of a network ASIC at a plurality of clock cycles in advance of an arbitration point;

determining a predicted arbitration winner for each of the plurality of clock cycles in advance of the arbitration point, based in part on the port availability information, wherein the predicted arbitration winner identifies one of the plurality of ports to gain access to the ASIC;

comparing each predicted arbitration winner to an actual arbitration winner selected by a design under test (DUT) comprising the network ASIC at the arbitration point;

determining a verification fail unless the arbitration winner matches at least one predicted arbitration winner.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on priority.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on port bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on a round robin protocol.

14. A system for providing arbitration verification, comprising:

an arbitration verification system executed by a computing system for verifying arbitration used by a design under test;

wherein the arbitration verification system is configured to;

sample port availability information for a plurality of ports of the design under test at a plurality of clock cycles in advance of an arbitration point;

determine a predicted arbitration winner for each of the plurality of clock cycles in advance of the arbitration point, based in part on the port availability information, wherein the predicted arbitration winner identifies one of the plurality of ports to gain access to the ASIC;

compare each predicted arbitration winner to an actual arbitration winner selected by the design under test at the arbitration point; and

determine a verification fail unless the arbitration winner matches at least one predicted arbitration winner.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on priority.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on port bandwidth.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein a predicted arbitration winner is determined based on a round robin protocol.