Profile directed simulation used to target time-critical crossproducts during random vector testing
US6212493A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/2236
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique for verification of a complex integrated circuit design, such as a microprocessor, using a randomly generated test program to simulate internal events and to determine the timing of external events. The simulation proceeds in two passes. During a first pass, the randomly generated test program and data vectors are applied to a simulation model of the design being verified. During this first pass, an internal agent collects profile data about internal events such as addresses and program counter contents as they occur. During a second pass of the process, the profile data is used to generate directed external events based upon the data observed during the first pass. In this manner, the advantages of rapid test vector generation provided through random schemes is achieved at the same time that a more directed external event correlation is accomplished.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.