Automatic generation of design constraints in verifying high performance embedded dynamic circuits

Design constraints are artifacts that model an environment of a design under verification by restricting input stimuli to plausible valuations. Judicious usage of design constraints can be effective in eliminating false verification results. Given a particular verification problem, however, it is a difficult proposition to write down all the necessary constraints. We present a technique for automatic generation of design constraints from simple user-provided information about potential design environments. Our method generates a set of design constraints representing varying degrees of assumptions about potential environments of a dynamic circuit. We also present experimental results on verification of custom designed embedded dynamic circuits taken from the Motorola MPC7455 microprocessor.