On-board non-regression test of HLS tools targeting FPGA

Abstract

High-Level Synthesis (HLS) has opened an opportunity for software programmers to target FPGA more rapidly. When developing HLS tools, tests are desirable to ensure their function, reliability and performance. When modifications are applied to a tool, Non- Regression Test (NRT) asserts that the changes have intended effect while Regression Test (RT) verifies that the tool still performs correctly without unwanted behaviour. The work presented in this paper is focused on a method to automatically perform Non-Regression Test in HLS tool developments, although it can also be used as a Regression Testing technique. This method relies on a framework which allows HLS tool developers to verify the circuits generated from the tool directly on FPGA, instead of using simulations. The verification flow is automatic, so that knowing the details of the system is unnecessary for developers. The framework has been tested successfully over several applications from HLS benchmark and it gives more promising results than its simulation counterpart.