Method and tool for generating simulation case for IC device

• US 7,949,509 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng-Hao, Ma, Jo-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu; Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US11/935,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 703/14, 703/13, 714/741, 714/724, 714/728, 714/733, 714/739, 702/185, 716/5, 716/6, 716/111
• US Class Current: 703/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318357 Simulation computer simulation of digital circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

Abstract

For generating a simulation case to verify an operation of an IC device, a database including a plurality of device description files, a plurality of pattern files and a plurality of command files is established. Files stored in the database and corresponding to an IC device are collected. The collected files are parsed to find out entries to be edited. Specified entries are edited by a user according to the operation of the IC device. A simulation case or a plurality of simulation cases are generated according to the entries.

Claims

1. A method for generating a simulation case to verify an operation of an IC device, implemented by a computer system and comprising steps of:

collecting a plurality of device description files corresponding to respective devices to be included in the IC device from a database;

parsing the collected files to find out an entry or a plurality of entries to be edited;

editing the entry or entries according to a description of the operation of the IC device;

identifying commands that are common with other ICs, editing the commands and generating a pattern file that comprises the common commands according to the description of the operation of the IC device in the edited file; and

generating the simulation case according to the collected files and the edited entry or entries based on the generated pattern file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of generating a new device description file corresponding to an additional device to be included in the IC device if there is no device description file corresponding to the additional device found in the database.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising a step of storing the new device description file in the database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating the simulation case includes generating a command file according to the description of the operation of the IC device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising a step of storing the command file in the database.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of storing the pattern file in the database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating the simulation case includes collecting and presenting a plurality of command files and/or a plurality of pattern files corresponding to the description of the operation of the IC device from the database.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of listing the simulation case in a collectable menu for a user to select.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of executing a simulation process or an emulation process according to the selected simulation case.

10. A tool for generating a simulation case to verify an operation of an IC device, the tool comprising:

a collecting unit for collecting files corresponding to an IC device from a database, wherein the collected files include one or more device description files associated with respective devices to be included in the IC device;

a parsing unit connecting to the collecting unit for parsing the collected device description files to find out an entry or a plurality of entries to be edited;

an editing unit connecting to the parsing unit for editing the entry or entries according to the description of the operation of the IC device;

a generating unit for generating one or more command files and one or more pattern files according to the edited entry or entries from the editing unit, wherein the pattern files are generated by including commands that are common with other ICs; and

an operating unit having the collecting unit collect the one or more command files and the one or more pattern files and presenting the collected one or more command files and one or more pattern files as the simulation case.

11. The tool of claim 10 further comprising a storage unit for storing the database.

12. The tool of claim 10 further comprising an organizing unit for receiving a device description information corresponding to an additional device to be included in the IC device.

13. The tool of claim 12 further comprising a generating unit in communication with the organizing unit for generating a new device description file according to the device description information.

14. The tool of claim 10 wherein the operating unit further lists the simulation case in a collectable menu for a user to select.

15. The tool of claim 14 wherein the operating unit further executes a simulation process or an emulation process according to the selected simulation case.