Integrating formal verification methods with a conventional project design flow

Abstract

We present a formal verification methodology that we have used on a computer system design project. The methodology integrates a temporal logic model checker with a conventional project design flow. The methodology has been used successfully to verify the protocols within a distributed shared memory machine. We consider the following to be the four main benefits to using the model checker. First, it ensures that there exists an accurate high-level machine readable system specification. Second, it allows high-level system verification early in the design phase. Third, it facilitates equivalence and refinement checking between the high-level specification, and the RTL implementation. Finally, and most importantly it uncovered many protocol specification and RTL implementation problems.