Stimuli generation framework for testing multiple processes in VHDL

Abstract

Hardware Description Languages (HDL) like VHDL are used to design and simulate programmable logic devices. Usually the description of the device under test consists of several processes. This concept introduces problems of how to test and verify complex systems. In this paper, we present a new framework called TestBenchMulti that is able to generate test stimuli for parallel VHDL designs. The framework combines Control Flow Graphs (CFGs), extension of Symbolic Execution (SE) and Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) into a sequence of methods to generate stimuli capable of obtaining high code coverage. The experiments were carried out on synthesizable VHDL circuits at the behavioural level. The obtained code coverage results were confirmed in the real implementation using Xilinx FPGA hardware.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.43.4.7598