Question

This chapter extends the SystemVerilog VPI with read facilities so that the Verilog Procedural Interface (VPI) acts as an Application Programming Interface (API) for data access and tool interaction irrespective of whether the data is in memory or a persistent form such as a database, and also irrespective of the tool the user is interacting with.

SystemVerilog is both a design and verification language consequently its VPI has a wealth of design and verification data access mechanisms. This makes the VPI an ideal vehicle for tool integration in order to replace arcane, inefficient, and error-prone file-based data exchanges with a new mechanism for tool to tool, and user to tool interface. Moreover, a single access API eases the interoperability investments for vendors and users alike. Reducing interoperability barriers allows vendors to focus on tool implementation. Users, on the other hand, are able to create integrated design flows from a multitude of best-in-class offerings spanning the realms of design and verification such as simulators, debuggers, formal, coverage or test bench tools.