Novas enhances debug technology platform - Debussy Debug System and Verdi Behavior-Based Debug System

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, June 2, 2003

Novas Software, Inc. recently announced technology enhancements to the core debug platform for Novas' market-leading Debussy Debug System and Verdi Behavior-Based Debug System. These include database upgrades that use less memory and double the performance of many debug operations. The enhanced infrastructure also integrates new clock tree and timing debug features, and supports the production release of Novas' assertion-driven debug capabilities.

Already in use by several key semiconductor companies, these latest advances improve designer productivity and promote adoption of advanced verification methodologies to accelerate debug and understanding of complex integrated circuit (ICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) designs.

"The increasing complexity of SoC design creates the need for more new formats, standards, techniques and languages than ever before. As a result, engineering teams must make many more decisions about the verification strategy and tools needed to support their next-generation designs," said George Bakewell, director of technical marketing for Novas.

Novas has enhanced the core performance of its debug platform through a variety of database and library optimization techniques. An optimized format developed for Novas' proprietary fast signal database (FSDB) stores results from verification tools in files that are up to 50 percent smaller and faster for data extraction, reload and annotation tasks.

Novas' new clock tree debug and analysis allows engineers to easily find clock sources, extract and highlight clock domains, and detect and check clock domain crossings. They can also import Synopsys PrimeTime timing analysis reports into Debussy and Verdi. Novas' systems automatically generate a list of the critical paths identified by PrimeTime, from which engineers can select and display paths in either file or schematic view during debug. These capabilities specifically target the complex timing strategies of today's large, multi-million gate designs.

Novas' Bakewell added, "Our customers expect us to deliver debug solutions that maximize their productivity, and we continue to optimize the performance benefits and scalability of our debug platform. Today though, keeping pace with the evolution of standards and new verification methodologies is also a critical aspect of R&D. This has been a major area of focus over the last year for our Debussy and Verdi product teams."

In addition, Novas' assertion-driven debug capabilities first introduced with a beta release in March 2003 have been fully integrated for production use. Verdi and Debussy users can browse and trace OpenVera Assertions (OVA) source code along with HDL source, and display the results of assertion-based verification tools in both source and waveform views. Verdi also features advanced behavior query and tracing tools and post-simulation assertion checking to help engineers more thoroughly understand cause-and-effect relationships.