Definition

In simulation-based processor verification, coverage state space refers to the space of functional coverage conditions or states that are monitored to assess how completely a processor design has been verified. The evidence describes verification flows in which generated stimuli are applied to processor inputs, and the achieved functional coverage is monitored to determine verification completeness. [Simulation-based verification workflow]

Role in processor verification

The coverage state space is relevant because verification systems use coverage information as feedback. In the cited work, a recurrent neural network receives coverage feedback from simulation of the design under verification and dynamically alters constraints for a pseudorandom generator. [Coverage feedback and constraint adaptation]

Size and variability

The evidence states that Codasip-provided processors were used for demonstration because their coverage state space was “reasonably big” and differed across processor kinds. This indicates that coverage state space is not fixed universally; it can vary with the processor being verified. [Coverage state space size and variability]

Relationship to coverage closure

The same work reports that its technique achieved coverage closure sooner and could isolate a small set of high-coverage stimuli suitable for regression tests. In this context, the coverage state space is the target space over which coverage closure is pursued. [Coverage closure and regression stimuli]