An Automatic Functional Coverage for Digital Systems Through a Binary Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm with a Reinitialization Mechanism

At present, functional verification represents the most expensive part of the digital systems design. Moreover, different problems such as: clock synchronization, code compatibility, simulation automation, new design methodologies, proper use of coverage metrics, among others represent challenges in this area. The automated test vector generation is involved in these problems. In this work, an automated functional test sequences generation for digital systems based on the use of coverage models and a binary Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm with a reinitialization mechanism (BPSOr) is described. Also, a comparison with other meta-heuristic algorithms such as: Genetic algorithms (GA) and pseudo-random generation is presented using different fitness functions, coverage models and devices under verification. The main strategy is based on the combination of the simulation and meta-heuristic algorithms to test the device behavior through the generation of test vector sequences. According to the results, the proposed test generation method represents a good alternative to increase the functional coverage during the automated functional verification of block-level digital systems verification.