DOLPHIN Integration promotes equivalence checking for multi-level modeling

Grenoble, France, April 30, 2010 -- System-On-Chip (SoC) are becoming more and more complex and their simulation takes ever longer. In order to optimize the tradeoff between accuracy and simulation speed, the appropriate solution is to model the different blocks of the SoC at different abstraction levels. For example, in a mixed-signal SoC, some components can be modeled in SPICE for best accuracy, whereas other components can be modeled in behavioral languages such as Verilog and VHDL, or their analog equivalents Verilog-A and VHDL-AMS. What is at stake with this approach is to ensure that the behavioral model of a component and its structural representation behave equivalently in some sense, either way, thereby enabling the use of behavioral models for blocks within complete SoC simulations.

In addition to its capabilities to simulate mixed-signal and multi-language designs, SMASH allows performing template-based equivalence checking between models at different levels of abstraction, or with respect to a specification or a given standard. The template can be either the written description of the specification/standard or the result of a reference simulation, whereas the profile to compare is either the result of a simulation or the result of some post-processing, such as an FFT or Jitter extraction.

For standard cell and memory designers, thanks to an extended support of vector files (.vec), it is easy to define patterns to apply to logic designs, whether simulated at the logic behavioral or structural levels or at the electrical level in SPICE, as well as the expected output templates. Warning messages enable to quickly identify which signals violate the templates and when.

For analog designers, based on the existing powerful measurement and extraction capabilities of SMASH, the upcoming Spring release will extend equivalence checks for analog and electrical signals.

For more information on equivalence checking, feel free to download the presentation sheet or contact Nathalie Dufayard at solutions@dolphin-integration.com

The free discovery options of SMASH are available for download at: http://www.dolphin.fr/medal/smash/smash_download.php