Transaction-Based Abstraction for Hardware Design Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for simulating and verifying electronic hardware designs are inefficient due to the need for detailed time-step simulations, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, particularly in identifying and processing transactions within hardware designs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of transaction-based abstraction, which redefines hardware operations in terms of transactions, allowing each transaction to occur in exactly one abstracted time step by identifying finite-state machines and classifying signals as transient, temporary, or persistent, and automatically generating a comprehensive test plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If detailed time-step simulation is used to verify hardware designs, then verification accuracy is improved, but simulation time and computational resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary intermediate time steps from the simulation process. By identifying that only transaction boundary time steps are essential for verification accuracy, the method eliminates redundant simulation steps while maintaining verification effectiveness, thereby reducing overall simulation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an abstracted model that copies only the essential transaction boundary information from the detailed time-step simulation. This abstracted representation preserves the critical verification data while discarding redundant temporal details, enabling faster verification without sacrificing accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If transaction boundaries are manually specified in hardware description, then transaction identification accuracy is improved, but design complexity and manual effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the simulation system to automatically identify and specify transaction boundaries without manual intervention. The system uses heuristics and pattern recognition to detect transaction boundaries autonomously, eliminating the need for designers to manually annotate hardware descriptions while maintaining accurate transaction identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of specifying transaction boundaries with an automated algorithmic system. The simulation tool uses computational methods to automatically detect and define transaction boundaries based on signal patterns and state machine behavior, substituting human effort with automated intelligence.
3Measurement precision
If multiple pipeline stages are simulated separately, then signal tracing accuracy is improved, but simulation complexity and execution time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the simulation of multiple pipeline stages into a unified abstracted model. By combining the essential behavior of separate pipeline stages into a single transaction boundary framework, the method maintains signal tracing accuracy while reducing simulation complexity and improving execution throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal transaction boundary model that can handle multiple pipeline stages simultaneously. This abstracted framework provides multi-functional capability to track signals across different pipeline stages without requiring separate simulation processes, thereby improving productivity while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for transaction-based abstraction process can, in an embodiment, include three main phases: first, selecting a set of transaction-processing finite state machines (FSMs) that determine transaction boundaries. Second, extracting the transaction-processing FSMs, composing them, and computing an abstracted FSM corresponding to the composed FSM after abstraction, step 115. Third, abstracting all signals in the design based on the computed abstract FSM.