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Commercial Tools for Formal Verification
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Today, we're going to explore tools for formal verification. Let's begin with one of the leading tools in the market - Cadence JasperGold. Can anyone tell me what types of verification it supports?
Is it mainly for property checking?
Correct! It also supports model checking and equivalence checking. JasperGold's versatility makes it very popular. What would you think is an advantage of using such a comprehensive tool?
It could save time by combining multiple verification methods.
Exactly! Having multiple capabilities in one tool simplifies the workflow for engineers. Letβs summarize: Cadence JasperGold excels in property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking.
Open-Source Tools for Formal Verification
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Now, moving on to open-source tools like Cosmos and Bert. Who can share what Cosmos is used for?
Isn't Cosmos an open-source tool for simple designs?
That's right! It is designed for simple formal verification tasks. And what about Bert?
Bert is a Bounded-Model-Checking tool, right?
Exactly! Bert is useful for RTL verification and represents a great option for academic or smaller-scale projects. Letβs remind ourselves then: both tools make formal verification accessible without high costs.
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
Standard
The section discusses key tools for formal verification, including both commercial solutions like Cadence JasperGold and open-source alternatives like Cosmos and Bert. The tools cover various aspects of verification such as property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking.
Detailed
Tools for Formal Verification
This section reviews several formal verification tools essential for validating hardware designs. Key commercial tools like Cadence JasperGold, which excels in property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking, are highlighted for their capabilities in the industry. Mentor Graphics Questa Formal offers a broad range of formal verification features, while Synopsys Formality is primarily focused on equivalence checking between RTL and gate-level netlists.
For FPGA designs, Xilinx Vivado provides formal verification solutions tailored for the Xilinx platform. Additionally, for those working on academic or smaller projects, several open-source tools are available, such as Cosmos, which is appropriate for simple designs, and Bert, a Bounded-Model-Checking tool designed for RTL verification. These tools contribute significantly to ensuring the correctness and reliability of complex hardware designs.
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Commercial Formal Verification Tools
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- Cadence JasperGold: A popular tool for property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking.
- Mentor Graphics Questa Formal: Offers a wide range of formal verification capabilities, including property checking and formal assertions.
- Synopsys Formality: Primarily used for equivalence checking between RTL and gate-level netlists.
- Xilinx Vivado: Provides formal verification for FPGA designs.
Detailed Explanation
This chunk discusses four widely-used commercial tools for formal verification in hardware design. Each tool has its own strengths and applications.
- Cadence JasperGold is known for supporting various aspects of formal verification, such as property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking. This tool helps engineers ensure that their designs meet specific properties and standards across different stages of the design process.
- Mentor Graphics Questa Formal offers a broad range of capabilities beyond basic checking, such as formal assertions, allowing designers to declare specific conditions that must always hold during operations.
- Synopsys Formality specializes primarily in equivalence checking. This is a critical task as it verifies that the design's high-level abstraction matches its lower-level implementation, which might be represented as a gate-level netlist.
- Lastly, Xilinx Vivado is tailored for FPGA designs, providing specific tools for verifying logic implemented on FPGA hardware.
Together, these tools form a suite of resources for engineers looking to ensure the reliability and correctness of their hardware designs.
Examples & Analogies
Think of these tools like specialized software for different types of home inspections. Just as a general home inspector checks the overall condition of a house, Cadence JasperGold would be the comprehensive inspector, ensuring everything is up to code. Mentor Graphics Questa Formal might be like a building inspector focusing on safety features, while Synopsys Formality is akin to a foundation inspector checking for structural integrity. Finally, Xilinx Vivado would represent an electrician ensuring the wiring in the specialized areas (like an attic or basement) meets specific standards.
Open-Source Formal Verification Tools
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- Cosmos: An open-source formal verification tool for simple designs.
- Bert: An open-source BAM (Bounded-Model-Checking) tool for RTL verification.
Detailed Explanation
In addition to commercial tools, there are also open-source options available for those who may be working on smaller projects or in academic settings.
- Cosmos is designed for simpler designs and is accessible to users looking to understand and apply formal verification concepts without the cost associated with commercial software.
- Bert is another open-source tool that specializes in Bounded-Model-Checking (BMC), which is a verification technique that checks the correctness of design models within a specific, limited scope. This approach can help users verify designs effectively while keeping resource usage manageable.
These tools contribute to a more diverse ecosystem, allowing more engineers and students to explore formal verification methods without major financial investments.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a community library stocked with books available for free use, representing open-source tools like Cosmos and Bert. Just as anyone can walk in and access books to learn or study without the barrier of cost, engineers can use these open-source formal verification tools to learn about verifying their designs. In contrast, the expensive software like Cadence JasperGold may be likened to specialized manuals or textbooks that provide in-depth knowledge but at a price, restricting access only to those who can afford them.
Definitions & Key Concepts
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Key Concepts
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Commercial Tools: Cadence JasperGold and Mentor Graphics Questa Formal offer robust capabilities for formal verification.
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Equivalence Checking: A vital process to ensure that different representations of a design behave identically.
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Open-Source Tools: Cosmos and Bert provide accessible options for formal verification, especially for simpler designs.
Examples & Real-Life Applications
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Examples
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Cadence JasperGold is used for verifying a complex digital circuit design ensuring that changes from RTL to gate-level netlist maintain functionality.
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Bert can be employed for checking properties in small to medium-sized RTL designs without the associated costs of commercial tools.
Memory Aids
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π΅ Rhymes Time
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JasperGold is quite the catch, checks properties and does not scratch.
π Fascinating Stories
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Imagine an engineer using Cadence JasperGold, ensuring every design meets its required properties like a wise king safeguarding his castle.
π§ Other Memory Gems
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Remember 'CJB' for Cadence JasperGold - Check, Justify, Validate for verification.
π― Super Acronyms
COSMOS = Comprehensive Open-source Simple MOdels for Verification.
Flash Cards
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Glossary of Terms
Review the Definitions for terms.
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Term: Cadence JasperGold
Definition:
A commercial tool for property checking, model checking, and equivalence checking in formal verification.
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Term: Mentor Graphics Questa Formal
Definition:
A comprehensive tool offering a variety of formal verification capabilities including property checking.
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Term: Synopsys Formality
Definition:
A tool primarily focused on equivalence checking between RTL and gate-level netlists.
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Term: Xilinx Vivado
Definition:
A formal verification tool specifically designed for FPGA hardware designs.
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Term: Cosmos
Definition:
An open-source formal verification tool aimed at simple designs.
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Term: Bert
Definition:
An open-source Bounded-Model-Checking tool for verifying RTL designs.