Zocalo ships first EDA Software dedicated to assertion-library productivity with Zazz

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Zocalo Tech Inc., an EDA company focusing on Assertion Based Verification (ABV) productivity software, is shipping Zazz.

Zazz, first introduced at DVCon in February 2009, is the first EDA software product to make using assertion libraries quick, easy and accurate by automating tedious error prone tasks with its easy to use intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI). With Zazz, the checkers from the most widely used assertion libraries can be attached to a design and documented in minutes.

Most experts agree that assertion checkers added by designers have significant impact on detecting problems early in the functional verification process. The designer is the most familiar with the intent and limitations of the design and is in the best position to define where they are needed during simulation.

Additionally, with checkers in place, formal verification can begin at the earliest stage and at the “sweet spot” for formal verification. Designer-provided assertion checkers result in increased communication between the designers and verification engineers. For example, when a designer-provided checker fails, both the designer and the verification engineer have a common point of reference.

“Nearly all designers can add assertion checkers manually. This rarely happens because the time required for creating, debugging, attaching and documenting them is difficult to justify when considering the typical chip design schedule.

"The availability of assertion libraries reduces that time, but not nearly enough for wide scale use by designers. With Zazz, attaching and documenting the library checkers that cover most of the designer’s requirements, takes less than a minute each. This level of productivity and the low cost of Zazz make designer provided assertions highly effective,” remarked Howard Martin, Zocalo President.