Assertion-Based Hardware Debugging

Today’s increasing design complexity requires innovation in both debug automation, and user interaction. We present here a novel query-based method that uses assertions as queries to assist in the domain of hardware debugging. Our approach is generally applicable to hardware debug, and is independent of the particulars of the input design or the assertion description language. We show how assertions drive the debugging process in order to diagnose the cause of the faulty behavior through the unique techniques of trace slicing, and trace dicing. We also present here a new visualization and user interaction technique specifically designed for complex systems with numerous component interactions and abundant control flows. The visualization approach leverages design and assertion spans to present the debugging information to the user in a refined detail of abstraction and permit adequate interaction. An experimental debugging system incorporating assertion-based debug guidance has been implemented. Experimental results for productivity enhancements from a case study will be presented.