Our Services
Datum has a detailed process, supported by a combination of free software, free and open source software and our own tools, to provide our clients with a solid and comprehensive design verification platform.
While the free tools are available to everyone, they are challenging to set up and use without expertise and experience specific to these tools and their quirks. By bringing our process to our customers, we deliver a reliable and comprehensive platform that our clients can use, and a solid set of procedures to design verification. Once set up, clients have a choice of engaging Datum to conduct some, most or all of the DV process on their behalf, or conducting DV in-house with our support if and when needed.
Our clients continue to receive the benefits of our services long after the end of the contract, enjoying perpetual bug fixes, upgrades, new features, and expanded libraries, based on the open sourced software we use to create the DV platform. At the core of our platform is Vivado, a free SystemVerilog simulator developed and supported by Xilinx.
When our clients depend on protocols and standards for which no open-source VIPs are available, we build on top of existing free VIPs to create the required VIPs, still at a fraction of the cost of buying into a fully paid commercial DV platform.
Our Process
The design verification platform is built and configured to meet the client’s requirements.
1.
The verification goals for the device(s) under test (DUTs) are established, based on design specifications and other architectural documents.
2.
Individual environments and testbenches are created based on a breakdown of the DUTs.
3.
A verification plan is created:
a. Test bench, environment architecture and test list documents are created
b. Missing VIPs listed and defined in OO form (class and block diagrams, functional class descriptions) c. Functional coverage models defined
4.
Environments and test benches skeletons are quickly created leveraging Moore.io UVM code templates
5.
DUT integration, sanity regression, and Continuous Integration (CI) is created, ensuring build integrity for the life of the project.
6.
If quality reference documentation of IP & VIP is required, Doxygen is set up.
7.
IP development takes place. Meetings replace by bug tracking system & continuous integration and weekly functional & code coverage reviews.
8.
Handoff sessions during which code ownership is transferred.
Advantages to Protocol Experience
The implementation and configuration of a design verification platform to support a specific design requires a deep understanding of the design architecture, functional specification, protocols and the work flow process of the developers.
Due to our extensive experience with a wide range of protocols, we are ready to implement DV with no need to ramp up on these protocols. We have an ever growing library of DataPath agents; if we already have the agent, no further development or costs is required.
  • Telecom
  • Ethernet
  • 5G
  • CPRI & RoE
  • XG-PON
  • Architectures
  • ARM/AMBA
  • DMA
  • NVMe
  • RISC-V
  • OTP NVM
  • Serial
  • PCIe
  • USB 3
  • SATA
  • JESD
  • I/O
  • JTAG
  • I2C
  • SPI
Infrastructure

There is no standard way to run SystemVerilog code. Most shops resort to writing simple bash scripts and makefiles unique to each project, simulator and test bench. The bash scripts need to be extended to run regressions, and the output reviewed using grep to search for results (pass/fail, reasons for fail). Tests that were intended to run over the weekend can fail due to errors in the bash scripts, an all too frequent and time-wasting problem.

Datum uses Python software and descriptor files using yaml format to execute simulation and regression tests. The descriptor files are automatically generated by the code templates we use, leading to consistent and reliable results. Because we aren’t starting from scratch each time, significant time is saved.

Antiquated Infrastructure Stack
Antiquated Infrastructure Stack
The Datum Infrastructure Stack
The Datum Infrastructure Stack
Turnkey Solutions
Some clients prefer to completely outsource design verification, allowing them to focus only on design and alleviate them from the burden of setting up and maintaining their own IT infrastructure and hiring inhouse expertise.

Vivado allows users to encrypt a project and send it to Datum, so the design details remain private within the design company, but allowing us to handle all aspects of the DV. We handle the VIPs, test benches, environments, and verification plan required for the specification. We conduct the simulation and testing on our infrastructure integrate bug reports into the client’s existing issues database. We provide regression and coverage reports.

This approach provides a clear delineation between the development, handled entirely by the customer, and design verification, handled entirely by us, without disclosing the details of your design.