World Class Verilog & SystemVerilog Training

Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design & Verification

by Recognized Verilog & SystemVerilog Guru, Cliff Cummings of Sunburst Design, Inc.
Cliff Cummings is the only Verilog & SystemVerilog Trainer who helped develop every IEEE &
Accellera Verilog, Verilog Synthesis and SystemVerilog Standard.
4 Days
70% Lecture, 30% Lab
Advanced Level
Course Objective
Make design and verification engineers productive using SystemVerilog using award winning
materials developed by renowned Verilog & SystemVerilog Guru, Cliff Cummings.
Upon completion of this course, students will:

Write efficient SystemVerilog reference models

o includes new SystemVerilog data types and capabilities
o includes new SystemVerilog RTL and abstraction capabilities
Write complex self-checking testbenches
o includes the use of new SystemVerilog Hardware Verification Language (HVL)
capabilities
o includes object-oriented stimulus generation using classes
o includes constrained random stimulus generation
o includes functional coverage capabilities
o *NEW* includes optional OVM verification fundamentals and labs
o includes proven techniques for generating self-checking tests
o may include C-program interaction using the new SystemVerilog DPI
Write efficient synthesizable SystemVerilog RTL models
o includes new SystemVerilog data types and capabilities
o includes new SystemVerilog RTL and abstraction capabilities
o includes six different FSM coding styles
o includes Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) and FIFO design techniques

Course Overview
Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design & Verification is a 4-day fast-paced
intensive course that focuses on new and advanced design and verification features of
SystemVerilog.
*NEW* - Enhanced Verification Flow - Based on seven years of teaching SystemVerilog,
Sunburst Design has discovered that it is best to teach object-oriented class-based verification
concepts early and often. Day-1 - includes Classes & Randomization (with labs) / Day-2 includes
Constrained Random Variables in classes, Functional Coverage, Virtual Classes & Methods
(with labs) / Day-3 includes Virtual Interfaces (with labs) and optional OVM fundamentals (with
optional labs). When properly taught, these topics are not difficult but because they are new, it
takes time and practice doing multiple labs for the concepts to be mastered.
This SystemVerilog training was developed and is frequently updated by the renowned
SystemVerilog guru and IEEE SystemVerilog committee member, Cliff Cummings, who has
presented at numerous SystemVerilog seminars and training classes world wide, including the
2003-2004 SystemVerilog NOW! Seminars and 2004-2005 ModelSim SystemVerilog
Verification Shindigs.
The 1000+ page binder and 190+ page lab guide for this 4-day course covers all of the important
SystemVerilog coding styles for design and verification. These materials are constantly being
updated with the latest clarifications and corrections passed by the IEEE SystemVerilog
committee, of which Cliff is an active participant. Numerous proven usage guidelines are taught
and explained.
This fast-paced course teaches the IEEE 1800 advanced SystemVerilog capabilities for both
design and verification tasks. Efficient and proven coding styles are combined with frequent
exercises and insightful labs to demonstrate the power of the new SystemVerilog features. You
will discover that SystemVerilog capabilities are fully backward compatible with Verilog-2001
designs.
The course content can be modified to meet the customized needs of individual design and/or
verification teams.
Target Audience
Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design & Verification is intended for verification
engineers who require in-depth knowledge of the IEEE SystemVerilog standards with an
emphasis on the new Hardware Verification Language (HVL) capabilities.
Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design & Verification is intended for all design
& verification engineers who require in-depth knowledge on the IEEE SystemVerilog-2005
standard. This course has been updated to include optional OVM fundamentals (with labs) for
verification engineers that plan to use OVM.

Prerequisites (mandatory)
This is a very advanced SystemVerilog class that assumes engineers already have a good
working knowledge of the Verilog language.
This course assumes that students have a practical working knowledge of Verilog HDL or have
completed Verilog HDL training. Engineers with VHDL synthesis experience and some Verilog
exposure will do well in this class. Engineers with no prior HDL training or experience will
struggle in this class. Engineers with weak Verilog knowledge or experience should consider
adding the 1-day, Sunburst Design - Accelerated Introduction to Verilog-2001 & Best Known
Coding Practices course to fully prepare for advanced SystemVerilog training.

The Sunburst Design - Advantage

Who is teaching your "expert" and "advanced" classes? Most companies will not tell you
because their instructors might not have much design experience or may never have participated
on any of the Verilog of SystemVerilog Standards groups or presented at industry recognized
conferences. Go to our web site and read about the Sunburst Design - Instructors - they are
simply the best at what they do and they have the experience and qualifications to offer worldclass training.
Sunburst Design Courses:
Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design & Verification - 4-5 days
o Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Design - 3 days
o Sunburst Design - Advanced SystemVerilog for Verification - 3-4 days

Sunburst Design - Expert Verilog-2001 for Synthesis & Verification - 4 days

Sunburst Design - Expert Verilog-2001 & Coding for RTL Design & Synthesis - 2 days
Sunburst Design - Expert Verilog-2001 Design, RTL Synthesis & Verification
Techniques - 2 days

o
o

Sunburst Design - Comprehensive Verilog-2001 Design & Best Coding Practices - 4 days
o Sunburst Design - Introduction to Verilog-2001 & Best Coding Practices - 2 days
o Sunburst Design - Advanced Verilog-2001 Knowledge & Design Practices - 2 days
o Sunburst Design - Accelerated Introduction to Verilog-2001 & Best Known Coding
Practices - 1 day

Course Customization? - Sunburst Design courses can be customized to include your

company's coding guidelines or to modify the course for a different audience. Sections can be
added or deleted from a course to meet you company's needs.

Course Syllabus
Day One
SystemVerilog Enhancements & Methodology Overview
- Includes a quick review of SystemVerilog resources available to design & verification
engineers.

Verilog & SystemVerilog Keywords

SystemVerilog Books & Resources
SystemVerilog Enhancements Strategy & High-Level Methodology

Data Types & Typedefs

- Includes data types, enumerated types, compilation units, packages, casting and randomization
functions.

Nets & Variables Fundamentals & Guidelines

Blocking & Nonblocking Assignment Fundamentals & Guidelines

SystemVerilog data types

Enhanced literal numbers syntax
Resolved & Unresolved types
4-state & 2-state types
Typedefs
Near-Universal types
SystemVerilog type usage guidelines
Enumerated types
Struct data type intro
Type parameters
Intro to the SystemVerilog program construct
$unit & $root
Compilation units & separate compilation
Packages & :: (package scope operator)
SystemVerilog package strategies
Strings
Static & dynamic type-casting
Random number generation: $random -vs- $urandom -vs- $urandom_range
Simulation command aliases & switch definitions
LABS: Multiple SystemVerilog types, typedefs, type-casting and logic labs

SystemVerilog Operators, Loops, Jumps. Intro to Logic-Specific Processes, Enhanced

functions & tasks
- New always_type blocks help RTL designers. To help verification engineers understand design
constructs, the always_type blocks are briefly introduced in this section. Enhancements to tasks
and functions make them more useful and easier to use.

New SystemVerilog operators

Enhanced loops & jumping statements
always_comb / always_latch / always_ff - (1-slide introduction only)
always @* -vs- always_comb
SystemVerilog enhancements to tasks & functions
SystemVerilog priority & unique - modifiers for case- & if-statements
`timescale directive
SystemVerilog timeunit & timeprecision

Classes, Class Variables & Randomization of Class Variables

- Object oriented programming using classes and constrained random variables for the
construction of powerful verification environments are described in this section.

SystemVerilog class basics

Traditional Object Oriented (OO) programming -vs- SystemVerilog Classes
Class definition & declaration
Class members & methods
Class handles
Class object construction - new()
super & this keywords
Assigning object handles
User-defined constructors
Class extension & inheritance
Adding properties & methods to extended classes
Chaining new() constructors - illegal new() constructors
Overriding class methods
Extending class methods
local & protected keywords
Constrained Random Variables
Directed -vs- Random Testing
rand & randc class data types
randomize - Randomizing class variables
randcase
Built-in randomization methods
Reference: randsequence & examples
LABS: classes, methods, class extension, random variables and randomization

Day Two
Nonblocking Assignments, Race Conditions & SystemVerilog Event Scheduling
- SystemVerilog is fully backward compatible with Verilog-2001 (it is also fully race backward
compatible!) This section describes in detail how the new SystemVerilog event scheduling works
and how it will reduce race conditions between RTL designs and verification suites.

Verillog-2001 Event Scheduling

8 guidelines for RTL coding & nonblocking assignments
SystemVerilog enhanced scheduling - includes IEEE 1800 latest updates
Verilog -vs- SystemVerilog race conditions
Scheduling of new SystemVerilog commands
* Blocking & Nonblocking Assignment Details
* Mixed RTL & Gate simulations

Implicit .* and .name Port Instantiation

- Implicit port connections can reduce top-level ASIC and FPGA coding efforts by more than
70% and simultaneously enforce greater port type checking.

Verilog-2001 positional & named ports

SystemVerilog .* implicit ports
SystemVerilog .name implicit ports
Implicit port connection rules & comparisons - includes IEEE 1800 latest updates
Strong port-type checking
New debugging techniques - automatic expansion of .* ports
Block-level testbenches with implicit ports
Advantages & disadvantages
LABS: implicit port instantiation labs
LABS (optional) : SystemVerilog random numbers

Interfaces
- Interfaces are a powerful new form of abstraction and this section details how they work for
design and verification. This section also discusses when and when not to use interfaces. Virtual
interfaces are described after the introduction of virtual classes and virtual methods on day three.

Interface usage overview

Introduction to generic interfaces
Interfaces -vs- records
How interfaces work
4 requirements for good interface usage
Interfaces - legal & illegal usage
Interface constructs
Interface modports
Generic interfaces
LABS: multiple interface and interface-protocol labs

Constrained Random Variables, Functional Coverage and Virtual Classes, Methods and
Interfaces
- Random variables & constrained random testing are important HVL enhancements to
SystemVerilog to assist the verification task. Functional coverage enables engineers to verify
what has already been tested and to focus additional stimulus generation to meet untested
functionality.

Randomization constraints
Simple constraints
Multi-Statement constraints
Important constraint rules
Constraint distribution & set membership - dist & inside
Constraint distribution operators
External constraints
Covergroups
Coverpoints
Coverpoint bins & labels
Cross coverage
Covergroup options
Coverage capabilities
Introduction to Virtual - three types of "virtual"
Virtual/abstract classes
Legal & illegal virtual class usage
Virtual class methods & restrictions
Virtual Methods and rules
Virtual -vs- non-virtual method override rules
Why use virtual methods
Polymorphism using virtual methods
Pure virtual methods (SystemVerilog-2009 update - used by OVM)
Pure constraints (SystemVerilog-2009 update)
Passing type parameters
Virtual interfaces
Three testbench requirements to communicate through virtual interfaces
Connecting a design to a class-based verification suite using virtual interfaces
LABS: constrained random stimulus and reports

OVM - Introduction & Fundamentals (Optional)

- Optional verification lecture topic with labs - best to add a 4th day to the verification flow for
adequate lecture and lab time.
- The Open Verification Methodology (OVM) is a class-based methodology for constructing and
executing high-level verification suites. This section teaches the fundamentals and functionality
of OVM

OVM resources
Introduction to OVM core base classes, include files and macros
OVM testbench structure (quasi-static class objects)
OVM transactions (passing OVM data & methods - dynamic class objects)
Ports & exports
Puts & gets
Transaction-level connection: (1) Control flow, (2) Data flow, (3) Transaction data type
Put configurations
Get configurations
Transport configurations
OVM Drivers
OVM Checkers
OVM Monitors
OVM Agents
OVM Standard Phases
Additional OVM topics
LAB: first OVM testbench
LAB: OVM testbench with virtual interface
LAB: OVM testbench with agents

Day Three
Program Blocks & Clocking & Hardware Verification Language
- SystemVerilog's new built-in Hardware Verification Language (HVL) capabilities are detailed
and how program and clocking blocks facilitate testing is explored.

Fundamental testbench construction

Program blocks
Program block interaction with modules
Final blocks
Testbench stimulus/verification vector timing strategies
Verification event scheduling
#1step sampling
Clocking blocks
Clocking skews
Default clocking block cycles
Clocking block scheduling
New SystemVerilog fork-join processes

Structs, Unions, Packed & Unpacked Arrays, Semaphores & Mailboxes

- Packed & unpacked arrays, unions and structs allow greater abstraction and more concise
coding. The new dynamic array types facilitate behavioral modeling and assist in the
development of verification environments. Semaphores and mailboxes are sometimes used in
advanced verification methodologies such as OVM and VMM

Data organization
Structs & assignment patterns
Packed & unpacked arrays
Array indexing
Structs & packed structs
Unions & packed unions
Dynamic arrays & methods
foreach loop
Associative arrays & methods
Queues & concatenation operations
Queue methods
Semaphores & methods
Interesting semaphore key usage
Mail boxes & methods
Bounded & unbounded mailboxes

DPI - Direct Programming Interface - SystemVerilog's C-Language Interface

(Optional section - may be omitted to give more time to other topics)
- The Direct Programming Interface (DPI) can be used to simulate C-code with SystemVerilog
code. This section describes how this can be done and how DPI programming differs from PLI
programming.

DPI layers
function import
function export
task export
Using SystemVerilog simulation timing in a C model
DPI -vs- PLI example
No PLI required
How to compile and simulate C-code with SystemVerilog designs
SystemVerilog & SystemC
LAB: SystemVerilog using C-code functions

SVA - SystemVerilog Assertions

- This section details how the SystemVerilog Assertion (SVA) syntax works and how assertions
can be used for design and verification. Special macro-techniques are shown to reduce assertion
coding effort by up to 80%.

What is an assertion? / Who should add assertions?

Assertion benefits - bug detection efficiency
SystemVerilog assertion types
SystemVerilog immediate assertions
SystemVerilog concurrent assertions
Assert & cover properties & labels
Properties and assert property
Overlapping & non-overlapping implications
Edge testing functions
Sequences
Vacuous success
Property styles
Reduced assertion coding effort using macros
Macros with default arguments (SystemVerilog-2009 update)
Assertion coding style efficiency benchmarks
SystemVerilog assertion system functions
Sampled value functions
Assertion severity tasks
Assertion and coverage example of an FSM design
Binding SVA to an existing model
Bind command details and guidelines
LABS: SystemVerilog Assertions with synchronous FIFO design

Day Four - (Not lectured in the 3-Day SystemVerilog for Verification Class)
Logic Specific Processes, Unique & Priority - full_case & parallel_case
- The new always_type blocks show design intent and help ensure construction of proper
hardware designs. The always_type blocks are discussed in detail in this section. This section
also details how unique and priority are new SystemVerilog replacements for the dangerous
"Evil Twins," full_case parallel_case.

Logic specific processes (always_type blocks) document designer intent

always_comb
always_latch
always_ff
Added design checks using always_type blocks
always @* -vs- always_comb
void functions
always_comb & void functions
Combinational sensitivity
Design encapsulation through void functions
always_ff for DDR? (SystemVerilog-2009 enhancement)
full_case parallel_case, "the Evil Twins"
What is full_case?
What is parallel_case?
unique & priority case
unique & priority if
unique0 (SystemVerilog-2009 enhancement)
Three examples using case modifiers
* LABS: simple SystemVerilog combinational and sequential logic labs
* Multiple small synthesis examples

SystemVerilog FSM Design Techniques

- Six different FSM coding styles, enhanced with new SystemVerilog constructs, are detailed and
compared for coding and synthesis efficiency. Multiple FSM designs are benchmarked for
coding style efficiency.

FSM coding goals

Moore & Mealy
Binary & Onehot
ASIC -vs- FPGA FSM design
Review proven FSM coding styles
One always block - avoid this
Two always blocks - recommended
Three always blocks - recommended
Onehot case(1'b1) - recommended
Onehot parameters - avoid this
Output encoded - recommended

Coding & synthesis efficiency

Verilog-2001 FSM enhancements
SystemVerilog FSM enhancements
Advanced enumerated types
LABS: SystemVerilog FSM design labs

Multi-clock Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) & FIFO Design Techniques using
SystemVerilog
- Very advanced design techniques from Cliff's award-winning presentations on the efficient
implementation of multi-clock CDC & FIFO designs. These materials are not specific to
SystemVerilog but solutions are shown using SystemVerilog syntax (advanced techniques that
all design engineers should know - the stuff you did not learn in college).

Metastability
Multi-clock Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) design & synthesis strategies
Multi-signal CDC techniques
MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure)
Syncing before passing multiple CDC signals
Multiple CDC signals - consolidation
Multiple CDC signals - synchronization
Multiple CDC signals - Multi-Cycle Path (MCP) Formulation
Synchronizing counters
Gray codes
Gray code counters
CDC Design partitioning
CDC simulation issues
CDC gate-level simulation X-avoidance techniques
Multi-clock FIFO design techniques from Cliff's award-winning presentations

Classroom Details
Training is generally conducted at your facilities. For maximum effectiveness, we recommend
having one workstation or PC for every two students, with your preferred SystemVerilog
simulator licenses (we often can help provide the simulator and temporary training licenses).

For more information, contact:

Cliff Cummings - [email protected] - Sunburst Design, Inc. - 503-641-8446