Functional Tests for Hardware Derived from VHDL Description

This paper presents a method to derive tests for circuits, modules and systems modelled in VHDL. The models describe the designed function/behavior of the respective candidate. The procedure to extract testsets resembles that of structural software testgeneration. For a top-down hardware design from specification to silicon observing guidelines according to structured software design, the method proposed supports design validation by specifying consistency checks at the various levels. The functional tests derived are well suited to be backed up by structural tests for specific hardware parts. In this case the functional tests are used to jump the sequential barrier and gain access to the buried combinational parts.