Project Overview
Our team at AIONSI collaborated with a leading semiconductor company to validate a technically demanding DSP subsystem built around several interpolation and decimation stages, multi-rate data paths, and complex algorithmic operations. Because the subsystem behaved differently under varying coefficients, data patterns, and runtime algorithm changes, standard verification methods were not sufficient to ensure predictable and accurate results.
To achieve reliable signoff, we created an end-to-end verification setup that linked MATLAB reference models with a System Verilog, UVM environment. This custom co-simulation approach allowed the DUT’s output stream to be matched precisely with MATLAB-generated reference data, removing uncertainty and drastically simplifying debug.
The project required close coordination between design, modeling, and verification teams, ultimately producing a flexible and high-confidence verification framework that enabled rapid iterations, automated comparisons, and smooth subsystem validation.
Key Achievements
• Achieved 76% Code Coverage Using a Single Randomized Scenario
By applying carefully crafted constraints and data patterns that targeted algorithmic behavior, we were able to reach a high level of code coverage with only one intelligently generated test.
• Achieved Cycle-Accurate Matching Between MATLAB Models and UVM Output
The co-simulation setup established a precise one-to-one correlation between the MATLAB reference data and the DUT’s serial output, ensuring accurate verification of all filter operations.
• Reduced Debug Effort by Nearly 40%
With synchronized data streams and a purpose-built scoreboard, mismatch detection and root-cause analysis became significantly faster, shortening the overall debug cycle.
• Contributed to Four Successful Silicon Releases
The verification platform proved reliable across multiple design updates, supporting four separate tape-out cycles without requiring major rework.
• Designed a Highly Extensible Verification Environment
The architecture was built with modularity in mind, allowing future DSP modules, filter chains, or algorithmic enhancements to be integrated with minimal engineering effort.