System Verilog
COVERAGE
Coverage
Coverage is the metric of completeness of verification.
Why we need coverage?
o Direct Testing is not possible for complex designs.
o Solution is constrained random verification but :
o How do we make sure what is getting verified?
o Are all important design features getting verified?
Types of Coverage's:
o Code Coverage.
o Functional Coverage.
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Functional Coverage
Functional Coverage is used to verify that DUT meets all the
described functionality.
Functional Coverage is derived from design specifications.
o DUT Inputs : Are all interested combinations of inputs
injected.
o DUT Outputs : Are all desired responses observed from
every output port.
o DUT internals : Are all interested design events verified.
e.g. FIFO full/empty
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covergroup
covergroup construct encapsulates the specification of
a coverage model.
covergroup is a user defined type that allows you to
collectively sample all variables/transitions/cross that
are sampled at the same clock (or sampling) edge.
It can be defined inside a package, module, interface,
program block and class.
Once defined, a covergroup instance can be created
using new() - just like a class.
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Example
Syntax:
covergroup cg_name [(port_list)]
[coverage_event];
//coverage_specs;
endgroup [ : cg_name]
Example:
covergroup cg;
……
endgroup
cg cg1=new;
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Coverpoint
A coverage point (coverpoint) is a variable or an
expression that functionally covers design
parameters.
Each coverage point includes a set of bins associated
with its sampled values or its value-transitions.
The bins can be automatically generated or manually
specified.
A covergroup can contain one or more coverpoints.
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Example
Syntax:
[label : ] coverpoint expression [ iff
(expression)]
[{
//bins specifications;
}] ;
Example:
covergroup cg;
coverpoint a iff (!reset);
endgroup
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bins
bins are buckets which are used to collect number of times a particular
value/transaction has occurred.
bins allows us to organize coverpoint sample values in different ways.
o Single value bins.
o Values in a range, multiple ranges.
o Illegal values, etc.
If bins construct is not used inside coverpoint then automatic bins are
created based on the variable type and size.
For a n-bit variable, 2 ^ n automatic bins are created.
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Example1
bit [3:0] temp;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp; //16 - Automatic bins created
endgroup
cg cg1;
initial cg1=new;
bin[0] to bin[15] are created where each bin stores information
of how many times that number has occurred.
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Example2
bit [3:0] temp;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a= { [0 : 15] }; //creates single bin for values 0-15
bins b [ ]= { [0 : 15] }; //creates separate bin for each
//value 0-15
}
endgroup
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Example3
bit [3:0] temp;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a [ ]= { 0, 1, 2 }; //creates three bins 0, 1, 2
bins b [ ]= { 0, 1, 2, [3:5] }; //creates six bins 0, 1, 2,
// 3, 4, 5
}
endgroup
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Example4
bit [3:0] temp;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a [4]= { [1:10], 1, 5, 7 };
//creates four bins with distribution <1, 2, 3> <4, 5, 6>
<7, 8, 9> <10, 1, 5, 7>
}
endgroup
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Covergroup inside a class
By embedding covergroup inside class, coverage can
be collected on class members.
Very useful as it is a nice way to mix constrained
random stimulus generation along with coverage.
A class can have multiple covergroups.
For embedded covergroups, instance must be created
inside the new() of class.
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Example
class xyz;
bit [3:0] m_x;
int m_y;
bit m_z;
covergroup cov1 @ (m_z); //Embedded Covergroup
coverpoint m_x; //16 bins
coverpoint m_y; //2^32 bins
endgroup
function new(); cov1=new; endfunction
endclass
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Bins for Transition
In many cases, we are not only interested in knowing if
certain values or value ranges happen.
But, we are also interested in knowing if transition
between two values or two value ranges happen.
Transition coverage is often more interesting in control
scenarios, whereas value coverage is more interesting
in data path scenarios.
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Specifying Transition
Single Value Transition
(value1=> value2)
Sequence of Transitions
(value1=> value2 => value3=> value4)
Set of Transitions
(value1, value2 => value3, value4)
Consecutive repetition of Transitions
value[*repeat_time]
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Example1
bit [4:1] a;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
coverpoint a
{ bins sa [ ]= ( 4=>5=>6 ), ( [7:9],10=>11,12) ;
bins allother= default sequence;
}
endgroup
Sa will be associated with individual bins (4=>5=>6) ,
(7=>11), (7=>12), (8=>11), (8=>12), (9=>11), (9=>12),
(10=>11), (10=>12)
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Example2
Consecutive Repetition
bins sb={ 4 [*3] } ;
// (4=>4=>4)
bins sc [ ]={ 3 [*2:4] };
// (3=>3) , (3=>3=>3), (3=>3=>3=>3)
Non-Consecutive Repetition
bins sd [ ]={ 2 [->3] };
//2=>…. =>2 …. =>2
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Excluding bins
In some cases all the bins may not be of interest, or
design should never have a particular bin.
These are two ways to exclude bins :
o ignore_bins
o illegal_bins
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Ignore Bins
All values or transitions associated with ignore_bins
are excluded from coverage.
Ignored values or transitions are excluded even if they
are also included in another bin.
bit [3:0] num;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint num {
bins val [ ]={ [1:15] }; //7 and 8 are ignored
ignore_bins bins ignoreval={ 7, 8 }; //ignore 7 and 8
ignore_bins bins ignoretran=(3=>4=>5); //ignore transition
} endgroup
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Illegal Bins
All values or transitions associated with illegal_bins are excluded from
coverage and run-time error is issued if they occur.
bit [3:0] num;
covergroup cg;
coverpoint num {
illegal_bins bins illegalval={ 2, 3 }; //illegal bins 2 and 3
illegal_bins bins illegaltran=(4=>5); //4 to 5 is illegal
//transition
} endgroup
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Cross Coverage
Coverage points measures occurrences of individual values.
Cross coverage measures occurrences of combination of
values.
Interesting because design complexity is in combination of
events and that is what we need to make sure is exercised
well.
Examples:
o Was write enable 1 when address was 4’b1101.
o Have we provide all possible combination of inputs to a Full
Adder.
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Example1
Cross coverage is specified between two or more
coverpoints in a covergroup.
bit [3:0] a, b;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
cross_cov: cross a , b;
endgroup
16 bins for each a and b.
16 X 16=256 bins for cross_cov
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Example2
bit [31:0] a;
bit [3:0] b;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
cova: coverpoint a { bins low [ ]={ [0:9] }; }
cross_cov: cross b, cova;
endgroup
16 bins for b. 10 bins for cova.
10 X 16=160 bins for cross_cov.
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