eRM e Reuse Methodology

eRM Benefits Ensures eVC and e verification environment reusability Ensures plug-and-play eVCs Optimizes e coding efficiency Maximizes user productivity Provides powerful and consistent verification methodology More detailed information

The e Reuse Methodology (eRM™) enables major productivity gains in functional verification. eRM provides both the best-known methods and new Specman Elite® functionality to deliver reusable, consistent, extensible, plug-and-play verification environments and e Verification components (eVCs).

eRM and eVCs have become a major force behind increased verification reuse, improved verification productivity and timeliness, and higher chip quality. Due to their effectiveness, eVCs are being developed at a rapid pace. With over 70 eVCs now available (as of November 2002) for a wide range of protocols, verification component compatibility and consistency have become important issues. By applying Verisity’s eRM, e environments and eVCs are developed using consistent terminology, architecture, coding style and packaging—thereby eliminating incompatibility issues and creating a pool of truly reusable and interoperable verification components for verification teams around the world.

eRM compliant eVCs are complete verification environments that embody the full Specman Elite methodology.

But I Don’t Have Multiple eVCs in My Verification Environment
Even if you are using only one eVC—or no eVCs— on your current project, eRM allows a consistent process for developing your testbench and getting the most power from your verification environment. In addition to architectural guidelines and coding styles, powerful capabilities such as generating and synchronizing complex sequences are defined. Everyone shares verification code— with designers, test writers, and other verification engineers—why reinvent the wheel?

The Verisity Solution
Verisity’s eRM provides dramatic functional verification productivity gains for advanced ASICs and SoCs through it’s comprehensive set of best-known methods for e environment and eVC development practices. eRM allows engineers to achieve consistency when developing their own eVCs or using those obtained from external sources. By following the step-by-step guidelines and common usage model set forth by eRM, engineers save verification time and effort, and are seeing significant quality improvements.

e Verification Components
eVCs are reusable, configurable, pre-verified, plug-and-play verification environments. eVCs model popular protocols, interfaces, and processors; and embody the full Specman Elite methodology. They deliver directed-random generation of transactions, full assertion checking, and functional coverage analysis of interesting transactions, scenarios, and events. eVC use yields the fastest and most complete verification of a target protocol.

Consistency Assurance
Consistency is the key to verification reuse. Verisity’s eRM takes into account all verification environment aspects that impact reusability and codifies standards to assure eVC consistency and interoperability. This includes all basic eVC elements including uniform terminology usage, file partitioning, eVC installation, and configuration rules. eRM also addresses the complexities of consistent test scenario generation, event synchronization, debug messaging, run-time status coordination, and eVC packaging.

Enhanced Specman Elite Functionality
Specman Elite has been enhanced with new eRM functionality including Sequences, the Message action, and the Visualization Toolkit. Sequences raise the test writing abstraction level by enabling entire test scenarios to be generated with only a single statement. The value of Sequences becomes even more evident when traffic must be synchronized across multiple ports. The Message action makes it easier for users to determine where problems lie by providing consistent debugging controls and uniform message formats and filters. Specman Elite’s new Visualization Toolkit provides a means to graphically depict the actions taking place in the verification environment in order to more easily comprehend the time sequencing of events and simplify debugging.

The new Specman Elite stripe chart exemplifies the type of graphical display the new Visualization Toolkit can generate.

eRM Compliance
The term “eRM compliant” refers to e environments and eVCs created using Verisity’s e Reuse Methodology. eRM compliance ensures that eVCs seamlessly plug-and-play and operate consistently with all eRM compliant verification environments. Since all eVCs developed using the eRM look and behave similarly, users are assured of a consistent user experience. In other words, once you know how to use one eRM compliant environment or eVC, you know how to use them all. To ensure eRM compliance, Verisity provides an eRM checklist. For developers, the checklist facilitates eRM adherence by making it clear when they have met the necessary criteria. The published checklist results then allow users to make objective comparisons between eVCs.

Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms
Along with complete eRM documentation, customers and e developers are provided three ideal coding examples called “Golden eVCs” to kick off the development cycle. eVC documentation and training templates are also provided to developers so that they can deliver fully consistent documentation and training to eVC users. Lastly, an advanced eRM training course is available for those who wish to experience hands-on learning in a classroom setting.

Contact Us