Verification Technology Research Of High Performance Microprocessor

X microprocessor is a 64-bit general purpose high performance microprocessor with fully independent intellectual property, large scale and extraordinary complexity. Multi-level function verifications are applied to the different phase of chip design, so it is very important that ensuring the validity and compatibility of chip function.The function verification methods of high performance microprocessor have been studiedin this paper, including:First, according to the requirements of this project and the characteristics of microprocessor design, the multi-level verification system has been applied to the verification strategy of high performance microprocessor.Second, the simulation-verification methods based on reference model and machine are talked about the validity and compatibility of the high performance CPU design. Furthermore, these have been applied to the verification of floating point unit.Third, combined with FPGA emulation of X microprocessor, the difficulties of FPGA emulation, including the FPGA partitioning, the FPGA pin replicating and the signal integrality of multi-FPGAs interconnected signal transmission, have been studied. We have proposed virtual I/O technique and FPGA partitioning based on system function and pipeline structure. Furthermore, we have developed reconfigurable general purpose FPGA emulational board, by these means, the difficultis of using multi-FPGAs to realize the emulation of X microprocessor have been settled.Fourth, due to the difficulties in the whole chip verification of high performance microprocessor, a CPU general purpose verification platform using hardware accelerator has been developed which makes up of Palladium accelerator, workstation and terminal. Simultaneously, it has been applied to the verification project of the actual chip.Finally, due to the problem in the verification process of project, for example debugging is slow, analyzing result is complex and verification efficiency is low etc., we have developed an automation verification platform based on the idea of automatization verification.