User guide

20-72
Using OpenVera Assertions
Arguments can be specified for one or more modules, entities, and
instance scopes as in the case of $ova_start. The effect of a
module or entity argument is to stop monitoring assertions for all
instances of the module and their respective hierarchies under each
instance as indicated by levels. The effect of a scope argument is to
stop monitoring assertions for that instance scope and the hierarchy
under it as indicated by levels. If module, entity and scope arguments
are omitted then levels applies to all the root modules of the design.
If there are no arguments, i.e., $ova_stop, the task applies to the
entire design. It is equivalent to $ova_stop(0).
The system task is ignored if the monitoring has already been stopped
in the specified scope or module.
OVA monitoring is started automatically at the beginning of
simulation. This is for compatibility with the non-inlined version where
monitoring starts immediately at time 0. To control monitoring with
the $ova_start and $ova_stop tasks, $ova_stop must be
issued at time 0 — e.g., in an initial block.
This is similar to the use of $dumpvars where dumping starts
immediately after calling this task and can be inhibited by calling
$dumpoff right after. Here, the equivalent of calling $dumpvars is
implicit in the start of simulation.
Examples:
$ova_start; // Start assertions in the whole design.
$ova_start(0) // Start assertions in the whole design.
$ova_stop(3) // Stop assertions in all top modules
// to three levels below.