Connections Partner NextOp on Assertion Synthesis and Assertion-Based Verification (ABV) with “BugScope”

11 Oct 2010 • 1 minute read

As anyone working in Formal and Assertion-Based Verification (ABV) knows, the task of writing assertions can quickly overwhelm even the most patient engineer. While Team Verify has partially addressed this challenge with the "Automatic Formal Analysis" capability built into Incisive Formal and Enterprise Verifier tools, our new Cadence Connections program partner NextOp with their "BugScope" tool has taken "assertion synthesis" to a whole new level of automation by reading the testbench and DUT to automagically generate tons of relevant assertions (they've paid a lot of attention to weeding out redundant / overlapping assertions under-the-hood, before they are output to the user). AND they can channel their results to give you feedback on the quality of your functional coverage spec (really!).

NextOp will be at CDNLive Silicon Valley presenting a paper and exhibiting at the "Designer Expo" on October 26, 2010; and in advance of the event they have given in depth interviews to Richard Goering for his Industry Insights column, as well as a short video interview with Team Verify's own Joe Hupcey III:

If the video doesn't play, click here.

As you will glean from the written and video interviews, Cadence and NextOp already have some very happy joint customers. The point is: if you are among the many that have soured on ABV over the years due to assertion "writer's cramp," this stuff might just get you back into the game.

Happy bug hunting!

Team Verify

On Twitter: @teamverify -- http://twitter.com/teamverify

Reference links

NextOp Software's home page:
http://www.nextopsoftware.com

NextOp's high-level overview of Assertion Based verification (ABV)
http://www.nextopsoftware.com/Te_AssertionBasedVerification.html

Post-DAC John Cooley Wiretap: "NextOp Kicked Ass"
http://www.deepchip.com/items/dac10-01.html

Pre-DAC Tech Bites: "NextOp comes out of stealth mode. Tackles assertion synthesis"
http://www.techbites.com/201005072684/myblog/blog/z000e-nextop-comes-out-of-stealth-mode-tackles-assertion-synthesis.html