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UVM Adopter Class


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Standard Level UVM Training - 4 days


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The Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) is an IEEE standard functional verification methodology for SystemVerilog that is endorsed and supported by all major SystemVerilog simulator vendors. The source code is freely available from Accellera under an open-source Apache license. UVM offers a complete framework for the creation of sophisticated functional verification environments in SystemVerilog, and encourages the development and deployment of re-usable verification components.

UVM has comprehensive support for constrained random stimulus generation, including structured sequence generation, and for transaction-level modelling. UVM testbenches also support functional coverage collection and assertions. UVM exploits the object-oriented programming (or "class-based") features of SystemVerilog. The open structure, extensive automation, and standard transaction-level interfaces of UVM make it suitable for building functional verification environments ranging from simple block-level tests to the most complex coverage-driven testbenches. The UVM register classes provide a standard mechanism to automatically set and monitor every register within the device under test.

This training course teaches best practice as documented in the Easier UVM Coding Guidelines from Doulos. Many of the coding examples and exercises used in this training course are compliant with the Easier UVM Coding Guidelines. Delegates may take advantage of the Easier UVM Code Generator to become more productive with UVM after attending the course. Easier UVM itself conforms fully to the UVM standard.

Delegates for this course must start with a detailed knowledge of building class-based verification environments using SystemVerilog. The course leads delegates through to full verification project readiness by focusing on the in-depth practical application of UVM using commercial verification tools such as Cadence® Xcelium™, Siemens EDA Questa™, Synopsys® VCS®, and Aldec® Riviera-PRO™.

Workshops comprise approximately 50% of class time and are based around carefully designed exercises to reinforce and challenge the extent of learning. During the hands-on workshops, delegates will build a complete UVM verification environment for a small example system.

  • Verification engineers who wish to deploy complex SystemVerilog verification environments using UVM
  • Design engineers who wish to make full use of SystemVerilog's verification capabilities for test bench development using UVM
  • The principles of effective functional verification using UVM
  • The standard structure of UVM components and environments
  • How to use the UVM base class library in constructing your own verification environments
  • Making good use of UVM features for configuration, stimulus generation, reporting and diagnostics
  • How to build complete, powerful, reusable class-based UVM verification components and environments
  • How to use the UVM register layer

A detailed knowledge of how to build a class-based SystemVerilog verification environment is essential. For engineers with no class-based SystemVerilog knowledge or experience the Doulos Comprehensive SystemVerilog or SystemVerilog for Verification Specialists courses provide an appropriate preparation. For onsite courses, Modular SystemVerilog precursor training can be tailored to your team's profile. Contact Doulos to discuss options that suit your needs.

Doulos course materials are renowned for being the most comprehensive and user friendly available. Their style, content and coverage is unique in the HDL training world, and has made them sought after resources in their own right. The materials include:

    • Fully indexed class notes creating a complete reference manual
    • Lab files comprising the complete SystemVerilog/UVM source files and scripts
    • a UVM Golden Reference Guide e-book

If you would prefer a paperback version of your Doulos Golden Reference Guide, this can be purchased from the Doulos online shop.


Introduction to UVM

What is UVM? • Why UVM? • Versions of UVM • Constrained Random Verification • Random Stimulus (Reminder) • How Much Coverage? (Reminder) • Tests versus Verification Environment • The Component Hierarchy • UVM Class Hierarchy • Transaction Level Modelling • Simulation Phases • The Factory • Layered Sequential Stimulus • Virtual Sequences • Hierarchical Configuration • Doulos – Easier UVM • Subject Areas for the UVM Adopter

Getting Started with UVM

Simple Testbench Architecture • Sequence Item Class • Sequence Class • Sequence versus Sequencer • Driver • Driver run_phase Task • Driver versus Monitor • Monitor Class • Monitor run_phase Task • Analysis Port • Agent Class Build Phase • Agent Class Connect Phase • Environment Class • Starting Sequences in More Detail • Test Class • Packages and Classes • Configuration Database • Top-Level Module

Reporting

Severity, id, Message • The Four Basic Reporting Macros • Using Verbosity • Setting Severity Actions • Severity and Actions • Setting id Actions • Scope of Actions • Reports Outside of UVM Components • uvm_root and uvm_top• Global Report Actions • Reports from Sequences • Report Context • Redirecting Reports to Log Files • Changing the Verbosity Level • Max Quit Count

Transaction-Level Modeling

TLM Connections • TLM Ports, Exports, and Imps • Child Port Connection • Child Export Connection • Implementing an Export • Push vs Pull Connections • Sequencer-Driver Connection • Sequence-Driver Protocol • Analysis Ports • Monitor with Analysis Port (Reminder) • Subscriber Class • Connecting Analysis Ports • Copying and Comparing Transactions

Interlude

Constraining Transactions • Generating Write and Read Transactions • uvm_do • Version Macros • Macros for Upgrading to IEEE 1800.2 • get vs get_next_item • Sequence-Driver Interaction • Print Topology • Finish on Completion • Debugging Connections

Scoreboards

Checking and Coverage • Reference Model and Scoreboard • Environment Class • Reference Model • Scoreboards • uvm_analysis_imp_decl • Matching the Transactions • Using Field Macros to Ignore Fields • Functional Coverage • Architectural Flexibility • Monitoring Internal States of the DUT • HDL Backdoor Access

The Factory

Factory Overrides • Where to do Factory Overrides • Kinds of Factory Override • Command Line Processor • uvm_set_type_override • More Command Line Flags • get_args • Wildcard Paths • uvm_component_param_utils • Registering Abstract Classes • factory.print

The Configuration Database

Constrained Random Generation • The Configuration Database • The Three Usual Ways to Call set/get • Getting and Setting Values • Wildcard Paths • Multiple Configuration Tables • Configuration Class • Randomize Configuration Object • Configuring the Component Hierarchy • Agent Configuration • Sequence Configuration • Debugging Configuration Settings

Objections

Objection Mechanism • Raising and Dropping Objections • +UVM_OBJECTION_TRACE • Objections within Sequences • pre_start, post_start, do_kill • Raising / Dropping Objections Per-Cycle • Drain Time versus Time-out

Methods of uvm_object

Field Macros • uvm_field_utils and uvm_component_utils • Field Macro Flags • print and sprint • Radix and Printers • Overriding the Methods • Overriding do_compare • Field Macros and Overridden Methods • Using Policy Objects • Overriding do_pack • Packing Bits and Bytes • Calling pack in a Driver • Transaction Recording • Marking the Start & End of Transactions

Sequences

uvm_sequence • Starting a Sequence from a Component • Starting a Sequence from a Sequence • uvm_do • Sequence Macros – Legacy UVM 1.2 • Sequence Macros – IEEE 1800.2 • Sequence-Driver Interaction • Overriding the Callbacks • Sequence Callbacks • Sequence-of-Sequences • Sequence Control Knobs • Nested Sequences • Configuring a Sequence • Configuration of Control Knobs

Virtual Sequences

Virtual Sequences and Sequencers • Virtual Sequence • Virtual Sequencer

Layering Sequences and Agents

Layering Sequencers • Layering Agent • Transactions • High-Level Sequence • Layering Sequence • Layering Monitor • Starting with a Virtual Sequence • Factory Overrides

Responses

To Send Information Back Upstream • Request versus Response versus Monitor • The Driver Response • Matching Requests and Responses • Pipelined Request/Response in the Sequence • Pipelined Request/Response in the Driver • Layering Agents • Multiple Agent Stacks • try_next_item in the Driver

Events and Barriers

Edge-Sensitive Event • Level-Sensitive Event • Other Event Functions • Passing Data with Event Trigger • Event Pools • Barriers • uvm_barrier_pool

Advanced Sequencer Topics

Interleaved Sequences • Sequence Priority • The Arbitration Queue • Setting the Arbitration Algorithm • Arbitration Algorithms and Priority • User-Defined Arbitration Algorithm • Sequencer Lock • Lock versus Grab • The UVM Sequence Library • Sequence Library = Fancy Sequence • Controlling Sequence Selection • Setting Properties with the Configuration Database

Register Layer

UVM Tests and DUT Registers • UVM Register Layer • Register Layer Architecture • UVM Register Layer Features • Register Layer Organisation • Accessing Registers By Name • Integrating the Register Model • Frontdoor Register Access • Backdoor Register Access • Mirroring • Updating • Register Model • An Example - Serial I/O • Serial I/O Memory-Mapped Registers • Unit-Level Register Model Integration • Define Registers and Fields • Configure the Register • Create the Register Block • Build the Registers • Create the Address Map • Register Adapter • Provide a Driver Response • Using Byte Enables • Integration into the Environment • Accessing the Register Model • Register Test Case • Random Register Testing • Built-in Sequences • Using Built-in Tests

Advanced Register Topics

Indirect Register Access • System-Level Register Model Integration • Front Door Sequence Integration • Define a Front Door Sequence • Setting a Front Door Sequence • Responses • Predictor • Integrating a Predictor • Direct Access Through Back Door • Adding the HDL Path • Using the Backdoor • HDL Backdoor Access • HDL Backdoor Access Routines • Memory Access within an Address Map • Adding Memory to an Address Map • Coverage Models • Instantiate Coverage Model during Build • Enable/Disable Coverage • Coverage in a Register Block • Sample Method in a Register Block • Enabling Coverage • Special Register Behaviours • Register Access Flow and Callbacks • Example: Register Aliasing

Appendix - Further Detail

Transaction Level Modeling • Blocking put, get, and peek • Blocking versus Non-Blocking Methods • uvm_tlm_analysis_fifo • Subscriber with uvm_tlm_analysis_fifo • Subscriber with FIFO Implementation • Parameterized Interfaces • Interfaces • Parameters & Interfaces – What's the Issue? • Components and Configuration • Component Hierarchy Introspection • find versus find_all • Globs versus Regular Expressions • Automatic Configuration • Overriding Agent get_is_active • Objections • Extending a Phase • Propagating Objections • set_propagate_mode • Sequencers • is_relevant • Push Sequencer and Driver • Push Driver Implementation • Callbacks • Callback Base Class • Insert Callbacks into Component • Implement Specific Callbacks • Add the Specific Callback • Event Callbacks • UVM Event Callbacks • Event Callback Class • Register Callbacks from Component • The Report Catcher • Registering Report Catchers • Hearbeat • uvm_heartbeat • Adding Heartbeat to Driver • Enabling Heartbeat from Test • Memory Manager • Memory Access within an Address Map • Adding Memory to an Address Map • Memory Allocation • UVM Memory Allocation Manager • Memory Access Sequence

Appendix - UVM Run-Time Phasing

Motivation • Background • The Common Phases of UVM • Phase Methods & Objects • The UVM Run-Time Phases • Default Synchronization • Phase Method Synch • Domains • Unsynchronized Domains • Explicit Synchronization • Synchronized Phases • User-Defined Phases • Extended Schedule • Add after_phase • Add before_phase • Add with_phase • A Schedule from Scratch • set_domain / define_domain • Overriding define_domain • Calling set_domain • Start and End of each Phase • phase_started • phase_ready_to_end • phase_ended • Making Sequences Phase-Aware • Reactive Stimulus • Phase Jumping • VIP Creation • VIP Integration • User-Defined Phases • Phase Ordering • Recommendations

Appendix - UVM 1.2

Language Changes • UVM Type Aliases • Configuration • uvm_*_comparator • Accessor Methods • Policy Classes • copy • printer • uvm_printer_knobs • pack • do_execute_op • uvm_object call / callback sequence • uvm_field_op • Policy Extensions • uvm_default_coreservice_t • Extending uvm_default_coreservice_t • uvm_init • uvm_run_test_callback • unlock

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Course Dates

25 Nov 2024 Munich, DE Enquire
02 Dec 2024 Ringwood, UK Enquire

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