User guide

20-3
Using OpenVera Assertions
OVA performs the following tasks:
• Tests Verilog, VHDL, and mixed-HDL designs using VCS and
VCS MX.
• Automatically tests and reports results on all defined sequences.
You just write the definitions.
• Produces results that can be viewed with DVE.
• Can be monitored and controlled as part of a Vera testbench.
VCS also has functional coverage that provides you with code
coverage information about your OVA code.
Using OVA Directives
OVA uses two directives:
• The assert directive, consists of mostly temporal expressions
and is used to define a property of a system that is monitored to
provide the user with a functional validation capability. Properties
are specified as temporal expressions, where complex timing and
functional relationships between values and events of the system
are expressed.
• The cover directive consists of event coverage expressions used
to record all successful matches of the coverage expression.
When the event expression results in a match, the cover always
increments a counter. Multiple matches per attempt may be
generated and reported. With compile-time option
-ova_enable_diag, if the match is the first success of the
attempt, then the cover directive also increments a second
counter first_matches.