Testbench builder, system, device and method including a generic monitor and transporter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016140285-A1
Application number	US-201514617645-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A testbench for testing a device under test (DUT), wherein the testbench has a verification environment including a reference model, a scoreboard and a customized agent for each interface that the DUT needs to receive input from and/or transmit output on. The testbench system is able to be generated by a testbench builder that automatically creates a scoreboard, a reference model, a dispatcher and generic agents including generic drivers, loopback ports, sequencers and/or generic monitors for each interface and then automatically customize the generic agents based on their corresponding interface such that the agents meet the requirements of the interface for the DUT.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A testbench system stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for testing operation of a device under test, the testbench system comprising:
a verification environment including a scoreboard and a reference model; and a plurality of agents operating within the verification environment, wherein each of the agents comprise:
a generic monitor configured to monitor one or more transactions transmitted on an interface between the agent and the device under test; and
a transporter coupled with the generic monitor and coupled with the device under test via the interface, wherein the monitor and the transporter are configured to together perform a handshake protocol with the device under test over the interface based on a class of the interface and the transporter samples at least one of the transactions based on an outcome of the handshake protocol, wherein the monitor is configured to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model based on the outcome.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the generic monitor of each of the agents is configured to monitor data on the interface each clock cycle, but only to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model if the outcome of the handshake protocol was successful.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising one or more additional agents coupled with one or more of the plurality of agents, wherein the one or more of the plurality of agents are configured to send data received from the device under test to the one or more additional agents.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the handshake protocol comprises one of the group consisting of a one-way handshake protocol without destination flow control, a two-way handshake protocol and a one-way handshake protocol with destination flow control.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the handshake protocol of the transporter of at least one of the plurality of agents is different than the handshake protocol of the transporter of a different one of the plurality of agents.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of agents each comprise a driver coupled with a sequencer and configured to receive a generated transaction from the sequencer.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the device under test is a virtual emulation of an electronic device.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the handshake protocol of each of the plurality of agents is based on the interface with which the transporter is coupled to the device under test.

9 . A testbench agent stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium as a part of a verification environment for testing operation of a device under test, the testbench agent comprising:
a generic monitor configured to monitor one or more transactions transmitted on an interface between the agent and the device under test; and a transporter coupled with the generic monitor and coupled with the device under test via the interface, wherein the monitor and the transporter are configured to together perform a handshake protocol with the device under test over the interface based on a class of the interface and the transporter samples at least one of the transactions based on an outcome of the handshake protocol, wherein the monitor is configured to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model based on the outcome.

10 . The agent of claim 9 , wherein the generic monitor is configured to monitor data on the interface each clock cycle, but only to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model if the outcome of the handshake protocol was successful.

11 . The agent of claim 10 , wherein the agent is coupled with one or more additional agents within the verification environment and configured to send data received from the device under test to the one or more additional agents.

12 . The agent of claim 11 , wherein the handshake protocol comprises one of the group consisting of a one-way handshake protocol without destination flow control, a two-way handshake protocol and a one-way handshake protocol with destination flow control.

13 . The agent of claim 12 , wherein the handshake protocol of the transporter is different than a handshake protocol of a transporter of the one or more additional agents.

14 . The agent of claim 13 , further comprising a driver coupled with a sequencer and configured to receive a transaction from the sequencer.

15 . The agent of claim 14 , wherein the device under test is a virtual emulation of an electronic device.

16 . The agent of claim 15 , wherein the handshake protocol is based on the interface with which the transporter is coupled to the device under test.

17 . A testbench builder for generating a testbench for verification of a device under test, wherein the testbench builder is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to perform a method comprising:
reading an interface configuration file associated with the device under test and identifying one or more interfaces associated with the device under test defined in the interface configuration file; and generating a verification environment including an agent for each of the interfaces in the interface configuration file, wherein each of the agents comprise:
a generic monitor configured to monitor one or more transactions transmitted on an interface between the agent and the device under test; and
a transporter coupled with the generic monitor and coupled with the device under test via the interface, wherein the monitor and the transporter are configured to together perform a handshake protocol with the device under test over the interface based on a class of the interface and the transporter samples at least one of the transactions based on an outcome of the handshake protocol, wherein the monitor is configured to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model based on the outcome.

18 . The testbench builder of claim 17 , wherein the generic monitor of each of the agents is configured to monitor data on the interface each clock cycle, but only to forward the at least one of the transactions to the scoreboard or the reference model if the outcome of the handshake protocol was successful.

19 . The testbench builder of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the agents is coupled with one or more additional agents within the verification environment and configured to send data received from the device under test to the one or more additional agents.

20 . The testbench builder of claim 19 , wherein the handshake protocol comprises one of the group consisting of a one-way handshake protocol without destination flow control, a two-way handshake protocol and a one-way handshake protocol with destination flow control.

21 . The testbench builder of claim 20 , wherein the handshake protocol of the transporter of at least one of the agents is different than the handshake protocol of the transporter of a different one of the agents.

22 . The testbench builder of claim 21 , wherein the verification environment further comprises a scoreboard and a reference model coupled to one or more of the agents, wherein the agents each further comprise a driver coupled with a sequencer and configured to receive a transaction from the sequencer.

23 . The testbench builder of claim 22 , wherein the device under test is

Assignees

• Xpliant Inc

Inventors

• Han Keqin Kenneth
• Siva Nimalan
• Sri Devi Polasanapalli
• Patel Saurin

Classifications

• G01R31/3177 Primary

  Testing of logic operation, e.g. by logic analysers · CPC title

• G06F11/263 Primary

  Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences {; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers} · CPC title

• H04L43/14

  using software, i.e. software packages (network security related monitoring H04L63/1408) · CPC title

• G06F11/2273

  Test methods · CPC title

• H04L43/50

  Testing arrangements · CPC title