Chapter 9 - Applying Functional Verification to a Project

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the application of functional verification to a project. Functional verification is a complex process, and there is no single, agreed-upon approach to verifying a project. It requires careful planning and management, and a good understanding of the goals, methods, and tools to be used, so as to run smoothly and meet the cost and risk requirements of the project. The first part to deciding on a methodology is to understand the project requirements. This will include factors such as the complexity of the project, the number of components that are being re-used from previous projects (and are, therefore, at least partially tested) or that are being designed from scratch, as well as the time and risk requirements. Organizing the requirements of the project, and determining the appropriate verification tools and methods based on those requirements are often reasonable ways to start the verification project. Because cost is often an overriding factor, it may be important to determine where project costs can come from. While this may vary greatly for any particular company or project, listing the cost sensitivities may help in making decisions.