Product category: Design and Development Software
News Release from: ARM | Subject: SolidAHB
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 31 October 2003
Tool verifies Amba protocol rules
SolidAHB is a static functional verification tool dedicated to verifying the Amba AHB bus protocol
ARM is working with partners across the design chain to ensure that customers designing ARM core-based embedded systems using amba IP can take full advantage of new innovations in design methodologies and tools. The SolidAHB tool from Averant enables customers to verify the ARM Amba protocol rules using formal methods.
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 31 October 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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A key verification task for today's system-on-chip designers is to ensure that each component in the system obeys the interconnecting bus protocol.
Failure to achieve this can result in poor product quality, ASIC respins, and delayed entry into the market with corresponding loss of revenues.
To address the issues of protocol compliance, the two companies have worked together to develop the SolidAHB tool, which is dedicated to verifying that candidate designs obey the Amba bus protocols.
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The SolidAHB tool, which is based upon Averant's Solidify product, implements a formal, exhaustive, proof of correctness against a pre-defined set of Amba technology rules.
No testbenches or test vectors are required.
Under the agreement, ARM has licensed the ARM AHB and APB protocol rules to Averant who will be responsible for sales and support of the SolidAHB tool worldwide.
"Formal methods offer an innovative new approach for the verification of AMBA bus protocols, as the static nature means that verification is much faster than through simulation, and corner cases are more readily exposed", said Tim Mace, Amba Product Manager, ARM.
"The definition of correct Amba technology behaviour, through the development of Amba protocol rule sets, has done much to enhance the value of Amba technology within the industry.
By integrating our Amba protocol rule sets into the SolidAHB tool, developers will now have a high-performance verification tool that can rigorously check designs against the Amba protocol rules".
The SolidAHB tool encapsulates the Amba AHB protocol rules enabling "pushbutton" verification of designs against the AHB protocol specification.
If all rules pass exhaustively, then the user has formally proven that their design is fully compliant with the AHB protocol.
If a design fails a particular rule, the SolidAHB tool will produce a set of simulation vectors that when applied to the design in a traditional simulation environment will exhibit the failing behaviour.
The user can then use this information to quickly debug the design.
"We partnered with ARM in the important area of Amba protocol verification because we believe ARM's creation and endorsement of the property sets, coupled with the ease of use, execution speed and exhaustive nature of the SolidAHB tool will make this a compelling product in the marketplace", said Ramin Hojati, President, Averant.
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