The Importance of Register Verification

A processor register is a tiny amount of storage on a central processing unit. A single chip may contain thousands of such processor registers. They are easier to access and faster than the main memory.  It makes them the choice of memory for functions that require faster processing. But before they can be put to use, these registers have to be verified to ensure that they are working as required. Embedded designers perform this function during design verification.

Register verification is one of the first aspects of the design to be tested. It is important to test them before anything else, because the registers contain hardware configuration settings. They also play an important role in the interface of hardware and software. Whether the design works or not will depend on the accuracy of the register as it is implemented.

Embedded developers are fortunate in that there are many tools available to automate the register verification process. Note that in some cases, manual testing may be required.

For specific testing, the embedded engineer may have to develop test cases. There are several ways to develop such test cases. The embedded developer should consider different types of scenarios for which the design has to be tested. It is advised that the developer defines the testing strategy he/she will use, before starting the verification. Otherwise, it will increase the time taken to complete the tests.