Stimuli generation with late binding of values

Abstract

Generating test-cases that reach comer cases in the design is one of the main challenges in the functional verification of complex designs. In this paper, we describe a new technique that increases the ability of test generators by delaying assignment of values in the generated stimuli, until these values are used in the design. This late-binding allows the generator to have a more accurate view of the state of the design, and thus it can better choose the correct values. Experimental results show that late-binding can significantly improve coverage, with a reasonable penalty in simulation time.