Synopsys White Paper

Accelerate Test Regressions with Synopsys VIP Using Dynamic Test Loading in VCS

Functional verification ensures that a design meets its specification requirements. The initial 80% of the verification process significantly impacts the time needed to complete the final 20%, which involves extensive test scenarios and regression testing, often consuming substantial engineering resources. Typically, the desired scenario emerges late in the test case, often in the last minutes of lengthy regressions, revealing hidden idle time during debugging. This paper highlights optimizing this final phase by leveraging Synopsys VCS® DTL (Dynamic Test Loading) in the Synopsys Verification IP (VIP) framework. By breaking down test cases into save points, scenarios can be resumed directly at critical stages, bypassing preliminary steps like reset. The paper also provides guidelines for developing effective test cases in Synopsys VIPs, aiming to accelerate both internal and customer regressions.