System Verilog

COVERAGE
 Coverage

 Coverage is the metric of completeness of verification.

 Why we need coverage?

o Direct Testing is not possible for complex designs.
o Solution is constrained random verification but :
o How do we make sure what is getting verified?
o Are all important design features getting verified?

 Types of Coverage's:
o Code Coverage.
o Functional Coverage.

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 Functional Coverage

 Functional Coverage is used to verify that DUT meets all the

described functionality.

 Functional Coverage is derived from design specifications.

o DUT Inputs : Are all interested combinations of inputs
injected.

o DUT Outputs : Are all desired responses observed from

every output port.

o DUT internals : Are all interested design events verified.

e.g. FIFO full/empty

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 covergroup

 covergroup construct encapsulates the specification of

a coverage model.

 covergroup is a user defined type that allows you to

collectively sample all variables/transitions/cross that
are sampled at the same clock (or sampling) edge.

 It can be defined inside a package, module, interface,

program block and class.

 Once defined, a covergroup instance can be created

using new() - just like a class.
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 Example

Syntax:
covergroup cg_name [(port_list)]
[coverage_event];
//coverage_specs;
endgroup [ : cg_name]

Example:
covergroup cg;
……
endgroup

cg cg1=new;
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 Coverpoint

 A coverage point (coverpoint) is a variable or an

expression that functionally covers design
parameters.

 Each coverage point includes a set of bins associated

with its sampled values or its value-transitions.

 The bins can be automatically generated or manually

specified.

 A covergroup can contain one or more coverpoints.

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 Example

Syntax:
[label : ] coverpoint expression [ iff
(expression)]
[{
//bins specifications;
}] ;
Example:
covergroup cg;
coverpoint a iff (!reset);
endgroup

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 bins

 bins are buckets which are used to collect number of times a particular
value/transaction has occurred.

 bins allows us to organize coverpoint sample values in different ways.

o Single value bins.
o Values in a range, multiple ranges.
o Illegal values, etc.

 If bins construct is not used inside coverpoint then automatic bins are
created based on the variable type and size.

 For a n-bit variable, 2 ^ n automatic bins are created.

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 Example1

bit [3:0] temp;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp; //16 - Automatic bins created
endgroup

cg cg1;
initial cg1=new;

bin[0] to bin[15] are created where each bin stores information

of how many times that number has occurred.

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 Example2

bit [3:0] temp;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a= { [0 : 15] }; //creates single bin for values 0-15
bins b [ ]= { [0 : 15] }; //creates separate bin for each
//value 0-15
}
endgroup

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 Example3

bit [3:0] temp;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a [ ]= { 0, 1, 2 }; //creates three bins 0, 1, 2
bins b [ ]= { 0, 1, 2, [3:5] }; //creates six bins 0, 1, 2,
// 3, 4, 5
}
endgroup

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 Example4

bit [3:0] temp;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint temp
{
bins a [4]= { [1:10], 1, 5, 7 };
//creates four bins with distribution <1, 2, 3> <4, 5, 6>
<7, 8, 9> <10, 1, 5, 7>
}
endgroup

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 Covergroup inside a class

 By embedding covergroup inside class, coverage can

be collected on class members.

 Very useful as it is a nice way to mix constrained

random stimulus generation along with coverage.

 A class can have multiple covergroups.

 For embedded covergroups, instance must be created

inside the new() of class.

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 Example

class xyz;
bit [3:0] m_x;
int m_y;
bit m_z;
covergroup cov1 @ (m_z); //Embedded Covergroup
coverpoint m_x; //16 bins
coverpoint m_y; //2^32 bins
endgroup
function new(); cov1=new; endfunction
endclass
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 Bins for Transition

 In many cases, we are not only interested in knowing if

certain values or value ranges happen.

 But, we are also interested in knowing if transition

between two values or two value ranges happen.

 Transition coverage is often more interesting in control

scenarios, whereas value coverage is more interesting
in data path scenarios.

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 Specifying Transition

 Single Value Transition

(value1=> value2)

 Sequence of Transitions
(value1=> value2 => value3=> value4)

 Set of Transitions
(value1, value2 => value3, value4)

 Consecutive repetition of Transitions

value[*repeat_time]
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 Example1

bit [4:1] a;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
coverpoint a
{ bins sa [ ]= ( 4=>5=>6 ), ( [7:9],10=>11,12) ;
bins allother= default sequence;
}
endgroup
Sa will be associated with individual bins (4=>5=>6) ,
(7=>11), (7=>12), (8=>11), (8=>12), (9=>11), (9=>12),
(10=>11), (10=>12)
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 Example2

 Consecutive Repetition
bins sb={ 4 [*3] } ;
// (4=>4=>4)
bins sc [ ]={ 3 [*2:4] };
// (3=>3) , (3=>3=>3), (3=>3=>3=>3)

 Non-Consecutive Repetition
bins sd [ ]={ 2 [->3] };
//2=>…. =>2 …. =>2

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 Excluding bins

 In some cases all the bins may not be of interest, or

design should never have a particular bin.

 These are two ways to exclude bins :

o ignore_bins
o illegal_bins

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 Ignore Bins

 All values or transitions associated with ignore_bins

are excluded from coverage.

 Ignored values or transitions are excluded even if they

are also included in another bin.

bit [3:0] num;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint num {
bins val [ ]={ [1:15] }; //7 and 8 are ignored
ignore_bins bins ignoreval={ 7, 8 }; //ignore 7 and 8
ignore_bins bins ignoretran=(3=>4=>5); //ignore transition
} endgroup

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 Illegal Bins

 All values or transitions associated with illegal_bins are excluded from

coverage and run-time error is issued if they occur.

bit [3:0] num;

covergroup cg;
coverpoint num {
illegal_bins bins illegalval={ 2, 3 }; //illegal bins 2 and 3
illegal_bins bins illegaltran=(4=>5); //4 to 5 is illegal
//transition
} endgroup

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 Cross Coverage

 Coverage points measures occurrences of individual values.

 Cross coverage measures occurrences of combination of

values.

 Interesting because design complexity is in combination of

events and that is what we need to make sure is exercised
well.

 Examples:
o Was write enable 1 when address was 4’b1101.
o Have we provide all possible combination of inputs to a Full
Adder.

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 Example1

 Cross coverage is specified between two or more

coverpoints in a covergroup.

bit [3:0] a, b;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
cross_cov: cross a , b;
endgroup

 16 bins for each a and b.

 16 X 16=256 bins for cross_cov

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 Example2

bit [31:0] a;
bit [3:0] b;
covergroup cg @ (posedge clk);
cova: coverpoint a { bins low [ ]={ [0:9] }; }
cross_cov: cross b, cova;
endgroup

 16 bins for b. 10 bins for cova.

 10 X 16=160 bins for cross_cov.

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