EmGen: An Automatic Test-Program Generation Tool for Embedded IP Cores

Core-based system-on-chip (SoC) design is quickly becoming a new paradigm in electronic system design due to the reusability of IP cores. However, the validation of IP cores is the most time consuming task in the design flow. This paper presents EmGen, an automatic test-program generation tool designed for embedded microprocessor cores. EmGen provides an configurable formal specification model with heuristic knowledge, which can generate test programs according to different configuration of microprocessors’ architecture, a test generation scheme based on heuristic algorithms, which can efficiently provide instructions in test programs, and validation testbenches, which support simulation with generated test programs automatically and check the equivalence of microprocessors and the specified instruction reference model. EmGen is currently in use at ICT for the verification of embedded microprocessor cores. Experiments results show that EmGen can improve verification process and cut down skilled manpower obviously.