Hardware Model Checking Competition 2014: An Analysis and Comparison of Model Checkers and Benchmarks

Abstract

Model checkers and sequential equivalence checkers have become essential tools for the semiconductor industry in recent years. The Hardware Model Checking Competition (HWMCC) was founded in 2006 with the purpose of intensifying research interest in these technologies, and establishing more of a science behind them. For example, the conference provided a standardized benchmark format, a challenging and diverse set of industrially-relevant public benchmarks, and as a consequence, a significant motivation for additional research to advance the state-of-the-art in solvers for these verification problems. This paper provides an analysis of the tools and benchmarks submitted to the 2014 Hardware Model Checking Competition.