SystemVerilog OOP for UVM Verification

Classes
Dave Rich
Verification Architect

info@verificationacademy.com | www.verificationacademy.com
SV & OOP
• Object Oriented Programming in SystemVerilog is supported through
the class data type
• OOP enables the following concepts
• Encapsulation
• Inheritance (single inheritance model)
• Data hiding
• Generic programming(template/parameterization)
• Polymorphism
• Classes can be used to model
• Reusable verification environments
• Abstract data & methods that operate on them

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

A History of Object Oriented Programming
• 1967 Simula becomes the first OOP Language
• 1983 C++ created by merging the concepts of Simula
with C
• 1991 Java begins at Sun as a highly reliable alternative
to C++; originally called C++ --
• 1994 Sun R&D creates Vera as a testbench language for
Verilog designs
• 2002 Vera incorporated as part of SystemVerilog
• 2005 SystemVerilog becomes an IEEE standard

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

The SystemVerilog Class Terminology

• Class Types define a collection of Data and Methods

• Class Types Are Constructed Dynamically to Create
Class Objects
• Class Variables Store Class Handles
• Class Objects Are Accessed Via Class Handles
• The term “Class” is heavily overloaded
• Many people just use “Class” when they mean “Class
Type”, “Object”, “Handle”, or “Variable”

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Class Basics
• A class is a data type
• Contains variables referred to as class properties
• Contains subroutines (task/functions) referred to as class methods
• Both properties & methods are members of the class
typedef enum {IDLE, RUN, ...} cmd_t;
class Packet;
Note: cmd_t Command;
int Status;
Class declaration does logic [31:0] Data [0:255];
function int GetStatus();
not allocate any storage, return(Status);
endfunction : GetStatus
it only creates a new type task SetCommand (input cmd_t a);
Command = a;
endtask : SetCommand
endclass : Packet

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Instantiating Classes
• Classes are dynamically created objects (class instance)
• Every class type has a built-in method new() ,the constructor
• Can also create user defined constructor that overrides built-in
• Calling new() creates an instance & allocates memory
class Packet;
...
myPkt memory
endclass
Packet myPkt = new;
Command IDLE
class Packet; Status 5
...
class Packet;
... function new(input int a); Data
Command = IDLE;
function new();
Status = a;
Command = IDLE;
endfunction
endfunction
endclass
endclass
Packet myPkt = new(5);
Packet myPkt = new;
© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Object Handles
• A class variable holds a handle referencing an object
Packet Pkt1_h = new(); Pkt2_h is initially
Packet Pkt2_h; null
• Uninitialized variables have the special value null
Can test object &
task Send_Pkt (Packet P_h); initialize if necessary
if (P_h == null) P_h = new();

• Object Destruction/De-allocation done automatically after

an object has no references
• NO memory allocation/de-allocation
• NO access to de-allocated objects

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Automatic Memory Management
• Compiler traces all active object references

Packet Pkt1_h, Pkt2_h; // _h used to indicate a class variable

begin
Pkt1_h = new(); // 1st object constructed
Pkt2_h = new(); // 2nd object constructed
Pkt1_h = new(); // 3rd object – 1st object can be reclaimed
Pkt2_h = Pkt1_h; // 2nd object can be reclaimed
Pkt1_h = new(); // 4th object constructed
Pkt2_h = null; // 3rd object can be reclaimed
end

• Object reclaimed when no class variables reference it

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Class Properties
• The variables inside a class object are class properties
• Properties can be of any type including other class variables
• Class properties have dynamic lifetime – the life of the object
• Class properties are referenced using the object handle in a variable

Packet Pkt_h;
initial begin
Pkt_h = new();
Pkt_h.Command = Idle;
if (Pkt_h.Status == 3) Out = Pkt_h.Data[3];

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Class Methods
• Tasks & functions in a class object are referred to as class
methods
• The methods of a class object are referenced in the same manner as
properties
int S;
Pkt_h.SetCommand(RUN);
S = Pkt_h.GetStatus();

• As with Verilog, tasks can block and consume time

• As with Verilog, functions must be non-blocking and can return values

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

this
• The this keyword is a implicit argument to a method
that refers to the current object
class example;
int X;
“this” keyword distinguishes the
function void setX(int X); class member X from the local
function argument X.
this.X = X;
endfuction : setX
endclass : example “this” is implicitly assigned to the
example C = new() handle that C refers to
C.setX(256);
$display(“C.X = %0d”, C.X);
© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Copying Handles versus Copying Objects
Packet Pkt1_h, Pkt2_h;
begin
Copies class handle only -
Pkt1_h = new();
Pkt1_h and Pkt2_h refer to
Pkt2_h = Pkt1_h; the same object
Pkt1_h.status = 5;
$display(Pkt2_h.status); Shallow Copies Object -
Pkt1_h and Pkt2_h refer to
Pkt2_h = new() Pkt1_h;
the different object with
Pkt2_h.status = 10; the property values copied
$display(Pkt1_h.status);

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Shallow Copy Example
class A; Class declaration can contain variables
int j = 5; of other classes
endclass
class B; Shallow copy of object b1 copies first level
int i = 1; of properties to b2
A a = new;
endclass

B b1, b2; Assigns 10 only to variable “i” in object b2

initial begin
b1 = new;
Assigns 50 to variable “j” shared by both b1 & b2
b2 = new b1;
b2.i = 10; b1.i = 1 b2.i = 10
b2.a.j = 50;
end b1.a.j = 50 b2.a.j = 50
© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Deep Copy Example
class A;
int j = 5; In order to do a “deep” copy, a custom
endclass function must be created
class B;
int i = 1; B b1=new, b2=new;
A a = new; initial begin
function void copy(B source); b2.copy(b1);
this.i = source.i; b2.i = 10;
this.a = new source.a; b2.a.j = 50;
endfunction : copy ...
endclass end
Deep copy: Complete copy
b1.i = 1 b2.i = 10 of entire class including all
b1.a.j = 5 b2.a.j = 50 contained objects.
© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Static Properties
• Each class object has its own copy of the class properties
• Static properties shared between all instances of class
• Can refer to Static properties without creating an object
class Packet; Allocated when
constructing object Global variable declared
int id;
inside a class
static int Pkt_ID; Packet::Pkt_ID
endclass : Packet
begin Two objects created
Packet Pkt1_h = new(), Pkt2_h = new();
Pkt_ID = 1
Pkt1_h.id = Packet::Pkt_ID++;
Pkt2_h.id = Packet::Pkt_ID++; Pkt_ID = 2
© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.
Static Methods
• Static class methods can be called without a specific object
• Cannot access non-static members (no this object)
class Packet;
int id;
static int Pkt_ID = 0;
static function int unique_id;
return Pkt_ID++;
endfunction : inc_ID
Two objects created
endclass : Packet
begin
Packet Pkt1_h = new(), Pkt2_h = new(); Pkt_ID = 1
Pkt1_h.id = Packet::unique_id;
Pkt2_h.id = Packet::unique_id; Pkt_ID = 2

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

Static Lists
class Component;
int m_X; Better to use a unique
static Component list[$]; name instead of this.X
function new (int X);
m_X = X; queue of class handles of itself
list.push_back(this);
endfuction : new
static function void all();
foreach (Component::list[i])
Each construction adds a
$display(Components::list[i].m_X);
new object to the list
endfunction : all
endclass : Component
begin
Component h1 = new(7);
Component h2 = new(42);
Component::all;

© Mentor Graphics Corporation, all rights reserved.

SystemVerilog OOP for UVM Verification
Classes
Dave Rich
Verification Architect

info@verificationacademy.com | www.verificationacademy.com