微处理器体系结构级测试程序自动生成技术

Microprocessor Architectural Automatic Test Program Generation

提出了一种由体系结构描述驱动的基于约束求解的微处理器体系结构级测试程序自动生成的新方法,并基于此开发了原型系统——MA2TG(microprocessorarchitecturalautomatictestprogramgenerator).该系统不仅可以随机生成测试程序,最主要的是可以产生针对特定要求的测试程序.其优点在于:首先,通过体系结构语言描述简化了体系结构建模,方便了对目标处理器体系结构的探索;第二,利用比较成熟的约束求解技术来生成满足需求的测试程序;第三,极大地缩减了测试程序的大小以及微处理器的验证时间.MA2TG已应用于DLX处理器和自主开发的EStar嵌入式微处理器的验证.实验结果表明了此方法的有效性.

In this paper, a novel specification driven and constraints solving based method to automatically generate test programs from simple to complex ones for advanced microprocessors is presented, and its prototype sytem——MA^2TG （microprocessor architectural automatic test program generator） is introduced. It can generate not only random test programs but also a sequence of instructions target to specific constraints. The proposed methodology makes three important contributions. First, it simplifies the microprocessor architecture modeling and eases adoption of architecture modification via Architecture Description Language （ADL） specification. Second, it generates test programs for specific constraints utilizing the power of State-of-art constraints solving techniques. Finally, the size of the test program for microprocessor verification and the verification time are dramatically reduced. MA^2TG has been applied on DLX processor and the embedded microprocessor EStar to illustrate the usefulness of the approach.