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How do you debug and test your HDL code before synthesis and simulation?

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HDL code is the foundation of any integrated circuit design, but it can also be a source of errors and bugs that can compromise the functionality and performance of your chip. How do you debug and test your HDL code before synthesis and simulation, when you don't have access to the physical hardware or the actual timing and power conditions? In this article, we will share some tips and techniques that can help you verify and validate your HDL code and catch any potential issues early in the design process.

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1 Use a consistent coding style

One of the simplest but most effective ways to debug and test your HDL code is to use a consistent coding style throughout your project. This means following a set of rules and conventions for naming, formatting, commenting, and structuring your code, as well as avoiding any bad practices or pitfalls that can lead to ambiguity or confusion. A consistent coding style can make your code easier to read, understand, maintain, and modify, as well as reduce the chances of introducing errors or inconsistencies. You can use tools like code linters, beautifiers, or checkers to help you enforce a coding style and identify any deviations or violations.

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2 Use modular and hierarchical design

Another way to debug and test your HDL code is to use a modular and hierarchical design approach, where you break down your system into smaller and simpler components that can be reused, tested, and integrated separately. This can help you isolate and localize any errors or bugs in your code, as well as improve the readability, scalability, and reusability of your code. You can use tools like code generators, libraries, or templates to help you create and manage your modules and hierarchies.

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Tim Davis

Field-Programmable gate arrays engineer | Member AAAS
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Unit testing is overlooked in favor of whole system testing and that is a big mistake. Controllability and observability decrease dramatically in large systems whereas unit test has high values for both. Decrease your debug time by deploying thorough unit tests in your CI/CD suite.

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3 Use assertions and constraints

Assertions and constraints are statements that you can use to specify the expected behavior or conditions of your HDL code, such as inputs, outputs, signals, variables, or states. You can use assertions and constraints to check and validate your code against your design specifications or assumptions, as well as to detect and report any violations or anomalies. Assertions and constraints can help you debug and test your HDL code by providing feedback, warnings, or errors during the coding, synthesis, or simulation stages. You can use tools like assertion languages, libraries, or checkers to help you write and use assertions and constraints.

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Luigi C. Filho
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A melhor forma de depurar um código HDL é uma verifica??o bem elaborada com uma boa cobertura de teste, com isso se consegue identificar potenciais problemas antes da síntese

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4 Use testbenches and testcases

Testbenches and testcases are programs that you can use to simulate and test your HDL code by providing inputs, outputs, stimuli, or scenarios. You can use testbenches and testcases to verify and validate your code against your design requirements or expectations, as well as to measure and evaluate the performance or functionality of your code. Testbenches and testcases can help you debug and test your HDL code by generating, applying, or analyzing test vectors, signals, or waveforms. You can use tools like testbench languages, libraries, or generators to help you create and run testbenches and testcases.

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Tim Davis

Field-Programmable gate arrays engineer | Member AAAS
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Testing without a test plan is like going to a restaurant without money and hoping for a good meal. Your requirements, when written properly with test in mind, inform the critical testing that must be done to properly validate the requirements and verify the design is correct.

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5 Use debuggers and analyzers

Debuggers and analyzers are tools that you can use to inspect and modify your HDL code during or after the simulation or synthesis stages. You can use debuggers and analyzers to debug and test your HDL code by setting breakpoints, watches, traces, or probes, as well as by stepping through, executing, or changing your code. Debuggers and analyzers can help you debug and test your HDL code by providing visibility, control, or feedback over your code behavior or state. You can use tools like debuggers, analyzers, or viewers to help you debug and analyze your HDL code.

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6 Use reviews and inspections

Reviews and inspections are processes that you can use to examine and evaluate your HDL code by yourself or with others. You can use reviews and inspections to debug and test your HDL code by checking, verifying, or validating your code quality, functionality, or performance, as well as by identifying, reporting, or resolving any errors, bugs, or issues. Reviews and inspections can help you debug and test your HDL code by improving your code understanding, confidence, or reliability. You can use tools like checklists, guidelines, or metrics to help you conduct and document reviews and inspections.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Frank Bruno

Director of FPGA Development at Spartak Trading, Ex-SpaceX, Ex-Cruise, Author and Digital Design Guru
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The designer should never be the sole person to test their code. It's easy to be too close to the code and miss cases. Also, It's more important to try to break the code than prove it passes. Focusing on trying to make the code work the way you want misses things. For instance, at one company I came in and started testing a packet filter. I simply grabbed a random PCAP file and the test failed unexpectedly. It turns out they were filtering the PCAPs to remove packets they didn't care about in order to speed up the simulations. This missed a gaping hole in the code in real world conditions.

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RONY THOMAS

SoC Design Verification Engineer at Intel Corporation | IEEE Volunteer | Chair of Industry Relations, IEEE Kerala Section
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Use an Integrated Development Environments (IDE) like eclipse to write the code. This will highlight various code elements like variables, keywords so that the code is easily readable and thereby easier to debug than a conventional text editor. These IDEs can also flag syntax errors while the code is being written and therefore help in avoiding them in the early stages itself.

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How do you debug and test your HDL code before synthesis and simulation?

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1 Use a consistent coding style

2 Use modular and hierarchical design

3 Use assertions and constraints

4 Use testbenches and testcases

5 Use debuggers and analyzers

6 Use reviews and inspections

7 Here’s what else to consider

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