swtiching activity from a Vcd file

[research235]

vcd2saif

hello every one .

I need some help abt value change dump file. i am working on a project which needs to find out the switching activity of an RTL design. For this the procedure i am following is to simulate the rtl design with model sim using the option of dumping the vcd file.
and hence we get the vcd dump file from simulation and now in order to find out the switching activity we have to read the vcd file for which we have to write a code in either c r Tcl. I would like to know if any one has a code in Tcl for the vcd file in order to getthe switching activity.

your help wll be greatly appreciated .

suresh

 

[guiliu]

vcd parser

The vcd file already contains the switching activity of your design. I am not sure about your question on "get the switching activity", but you can use vcd file as the switching activity directly for your analysis. Or convert it to .saif file.

 

[aji_vlsi]

vcd file format switching activity

hello every one .

I need some help abt value change dump file. i am working on a project which needs to find out the switching activity of an RTL design. For this the procedure i am following is to simulate the rtl design with model sim using the option of dumping the vcd file.
and hence we get the vcd dump file from simulation and now in order to find out the switching activity we have to read the vcd file for which we have to write a code in either c r Tcl. I would like to know if any one has a code in Tcl for the vcd file in order to getthe switching activity.

your help wll be greatly appreciated .

suresh

Interesting approach. You may want to look at VCD parsers available with open source Verilog simulators - icarus and cver (www.icarus.com, www.pragmatic-c.com). The challenge will be to come up with an algorithm to make sense out of this VCD data - but that's exactly what your project is, so good luck!

Regards
Ajeetha, CVC
www.noveldv.com

 

[research235]

where is vcd2saif

Hi Ajeetha

thnks again for ur reply .. well ur absolutely correct abt wat exactly i am looking for .. but this parser is only a part of my big project ..i could only sense the requirements but have no clue where to start with .. i have seen examples of vcd files ...and i hope write the parser ... could please tell me where can i start with .. to code it in TcL ...

best regards

Suresh

 

[aji_vlsi]

no files seen in vcd

Hi Ajeetha

thnks again for ur reply .. well ur absolutely correct abt wat exactly i am looking for .. but this parser is only a part of my big project ..i could only sense the requirements but have no clue where to start with .. i have seen examples of vcd files ...and i hope write the parser ... could please tell me where can i start with .. to code it in TcL ...

best regards

Suresh

Suresh,
Sorry to be blunt - you have "research" in our name/id - then you are supposed to do that yourself.

Is this a MS Thesis or what?
Which university?
Did you do literature survey?
Google search?

I believe quite a bit of material is available to get the background. For instance a crude activity count is "toggle count" of all nets. But does that truly represent power? Depends on several factors - I will let you figure out, start with "toggle count" of all nets and arrive at an equation that would derive power figure from toggle count.

Once again Good luck!

Regards
Ajeetha, CVC
www.noveldv.com

 

[research235]

how to use vcd parser

hi ajeetha again

well thanks again .. yeah u r right .. being in research field ,, i should actaully have to do it for my self .. but since there is a dead line to meet i was a bit confused .. and so was asking on this board .. any way will try to figure it so that i can learn alos ..any way thanks again for the prompt responses ..

suresh

 

[aji_vlsi]

extract switching activity from vcd

Thanks for taking my response in the correct spirit, you have "listening ears"

Regards
Ajeetha, CVC
www.noveldv.com

 

[research235]

vcd parser c

hello ajeetha ..

Yeah i do take advices so only then i think some can really learn the concepts .

suresh

 

[yln2k2]

how to get switching activity from vcd

Hi ,


1) If you want extract info from VCD and do some usefull analysis it is really good .
But please check whether you have that kind of tools

ex: When you get VCD out of Gate level simulations , take this VCD and do power calculations which should be avaliable part of EDA tools like power theater etc ( This i am not sure ) .....

I think very purpose of introducing a format called VCD is to make use some common format across EDA vendros .
Bcos same VCD used by tester guys to check your wafer ... ?

so please check your objective and look at someone already did some work on same objective ...

But I appricate your intiative to form some algorithums out of VCD ....


regards
yln

 

[research235]

verilog vcd switching activity

hello yln2k2

Thanks a lot for ur detailed explanation. well i already started working in making a scrip in TcL to read the Vcd file and get the switching activity ... i know its a bit complicated .... i am half done with this project ... and hopefully will succusffully complete soon .. its a little easy i alrady have a model in C ...

thanks again
suresh

 

[amaal.83]

vcd file parser

hello everybody

if u wanna convert the vcd file to saif file, there is a command "vcd2saif" for synopsys tools

good luck

 

[amsut]

dump .vcd parsing

hello everybody

if u wanna convert the vcd file to saif file, there is a command "vcd2saif" for synopsys tools

good luck

vcd2saif work in VCS or VCS-MX .....
2nd option you can reannotate ur switching activity file by changing the system task in your testbench file ....