An Observability Branch Coverage Metric Based on Dynamic Factored Use-Define Chains

In this paper we propose an observability branch coverage metric (OBCM) based on dynamic factored use-define chains, along with its evaluation method. This technique exploits the efficiency of data-flow analysis rather than methods like fault simulation. Hence it can be easily integrated into HDL compilers or simulators. Experimental results show that OBCM can provide more meaningful coverage data for functional verification than traditional branch coverage metric (BCM)