Imperas
Software Ltd., the leader in virtual platforms and high-performance
software simulation, today announced the collaboration with Metrics,
working on the verification challenges required for RISC-V cores to
achieve the required tape-out-ready quality for broad adoption by
silicon designers. Imperas and Metrics will be demonstrating the early
stages of this framework using the Google open source Instruction Stream
Generator (https://github.com/google/riscv-dv)
for RISC-V processors and Google cloud services at the RISC-V Workshop
Zurich this week.
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DV (Design Verification) framework for RISC-V Cores with Imperas commercial simulation technology combined with Metrics’ cloud-based verification platform (Graphic: Business Wire)
The Open ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) of RISC-V is enabling a new
generation of devices based on an open flexible architecture that
permits free adoption and implementation with custom instruction and
extensions. In addition to the design freedoms, an open ISA also permits
the development of ecosystems and IP supplier alternative options: which
includes the traditional IP vendor business model, individual
developments or collaborative open source projects.
The RISC-V Foundation’s Compliance Working Group is addressing the
unique requirement to test and verify implementations are compliant to
the specification. However, until now the more extensive functional
design verification effort has not been addressed. This Imperas and
Metrics collaboration makes industry best practices available to both
commercial and open source RISC-V cores such as the CORE-V family from
the OpenHW Group. With the OpenHW CORE-V family RISC-V core development
teams will have access to curated and maintained high-quality
repositories adopting industry leading standards for testing and
verifying cores.
Using Google cloud services, the open source SystemVerilog UVM-based
Instruction Stream Generator open sourced and maintained by Google and
the framework that Metrics and Imperas are working on will help form the
basis of an ‘off-the-shelf’ test and verification solution for RISC-V
cores. Imperas reference simulator and envelope model covers the full
range of the latest ratified RISC-V specification. Using an elastic
database and Google cloud storage, the Metrics Platform manages big
simulation data across regression environments. It offers access to
on-demand simulation to meet peak usage and, unlike the traditional
software license model, matches demand to job resources through a
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, facilitating delivery and
support.
“Open source hardware IP is the next stage of industry collaboration,
combining with the flexibility of an open ISA such as RISC-V also
highlights the need for high quality and robust verification efforts,”
said Simon Davidmann, president and CEO of Imperas. “The
commercial ecosystem that has supported many processor innovations over
time, and continues to evolve in a symbiotic fashion, is collaborating
on these foundational efforts to ensure high-quality hardware.”
“Verification for a design prior to tape-out (release for manufacture)
is one of the most critical elements for the project schedule and the
verification flow for an open source core is even more critical as until
now this was not addressed by the business models of the traditional EDA
tools community,” said Doug Letcher, CEO, Metrics. “The use of
our SystemVerilog simulator in the Metrics Cloud Platform provides
access to infinite simulation to meet these demanding verification
needs.”
“The success of RISC-V will be measured not just in the adoption of the
open ISA but in the ecosystem and collaboration that forms to address
and support all aspects of SoC design flows and software development,”
says Calista Redmond, CEO of the RISC-V Foundation. “The open
source hardware IP momentum is a tremendous force for change across the
semiconductor industry, and quality and verification will be essential
for the adoption of RISC-V open source cores.”
“Verification of a processor is a complex task and is a key factor when
selecting IP cores,” said Rick O’ Connor, President and CEO, OpenHW
Group. “The OpenHW Group was created in part to develop an open
source, collaborative, UVM based verification test bench to validate our
CORE-V family of open source RISC-V core for use in high-volume
production SoCs. The integration of Google’s instruction stream
generator by Imperas and Metrics is an excellent way for the community
to collaborate and build the OpenHW Group CORE-V test bench in a
cloud-based infrastructure.”
About Imperas
Imperas is revolutionizing the development of embedded software and
systems and is the leading provider of RISC-V processor models and
virtual prototype solutions. Imperas, along with Open Virtual Platforms
(OVP), promotes open source model availability for a spectrum of
processors, IP vendors, CPU architectures, system IP and reference
platform models of processors and systems ranging from simple single
core bare metal platforms to full heterogeneous multi-core systems
booting SMP Linux. All models are available from Imperas at www.imperas.com
and the Open
Virtual Platforms (OVP) website.
For more information about Imperas, please see www.imperas.com.
Follow Imperas on LinkedIn,
twitter
@ImperasSoftware and YouTube.
About Metrics
Metrics, headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is the first true
cloud-based platform for ASIC and complex FPGA Design Verification. The
Metrics Platform provides an infinitely scalable design verification
workflow, which reduces infrastructure waste and enables better
engineering efficiency. https://www.metrics.ca
About OpenHW Group
OpenHW Group is a not-for-profit, global organization driven by its
members and individual contributors where hardware and software
designers collaborate in the development of open-source cores, related
IP, tools and software such as the CORE-V Family of cores. OpenHW
provides an infrastructure for hosting high quality open-source hardware
developments in line with industry best practices. OpenHWGroup.org
All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of Imperas
Software Limited or their respective holders.
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