verilog Getting started with verilog Using Icarus Verilog and GTKWaves to simulate and view a design graphically

Example

This example uses Icarus and GTKWave. Installation instructions for those tools on OSx are provided elsewhere on this page.

Lets begin with the module design. This module is a BCD to 7 segment display. I have coded the design in an obtuse way simply to give us something that is easily broken and we can spend sometime fixing graphically. So we have a clock, reset, a 4 data input representing a BCD value, and a 7 bit output that represent the seven segment display. Create a file called bcd_to_7seg.v and place the source below in it.

module bcd_to_7seg (
   input clk,
   input reset,
   input [3:0] bcd,
   output [6:0] seven_seg_display

);
   parameter TP = 1;
   reg seg_a;
   reg seg_b;
   reg seg_c;
   reg seg_d;
   reg seg_e;
   reg seg_f;
   reg seg_g;

   
   always @ (posedge clk or posedge reset)
      begin
      if (reset)
         begin
            seg_a <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_b <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_c <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_d <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_e <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_f <= #TP 1'b0;
            seg_g <= #TP 1'b0;
         end
      else
         begin
            seg_a <= #TP  ~(bcd == 4'h1 || bcd == 4'h4);
            seg_b <= #TP  bcd < 4'h5 || bcd > 6;
            seg_c <= #TP   bcd != 2;
            seg_d <= #TP   bcd == 0 || bcd[3:1] == 3'b001 || bcd == 5 || bcd == 6 || bcd == 8;
            seg_e <= #TP  bcd == 0 || bcd == 2 || bcd == 6 || bcd == 8;
            seg_f <= #TP  bcd == 0 || bcd == 4 || bcd == 5 || bcd == 6 || bcd > 7;
            seg_g <= #TP  (bcd > 1 && bcd < 7) || (bcd > 7);
         end
    end
 
    assign seven_seg_display = {seg_g,seg_f,seg_e,seg_d,seg_c,seg_b,seg_a};
endmodule

Next, we need a test to check if this module is working correctly. The case statement in the testbench is actually easier to read in my opinion and more clear as to what it does. But I did not wan to put the same case statment in the design AND in the test. That is bad practice. Rather two independent designs are being used to validate one-another.

Withing the code below, you will notice two lines $dumpfile("testbench.vcd"); and $dumpvars(0,testbench);. These lines are what create the VCD output file that will be used to perform graphical analysis of the design. If you leave them out, you won't get a VCD file generated. Create a file called testbench.v and place the source below in it.

`timescale 1ns/100ps
module testbench;
reg clk;
reg reset;
reg [31:0] ii;
reg [31:0] error_count;
reg [3:0] bcd;
wire [6:0] seven_seg_display; 
parameter TP = 1;
parameter CLK_HALF_PERIOD = 5;
 
   // assign clk = #CLK_HALF_PERIOD ~clk;  // Create a clock with a period of ten ns
   initial
   begin
     clk = 0;
     #5;
     forever clk = #( CLK_HALF_PERIOD )  ~clk;
   end

   initial
     begin
       $dumpfile("testbench.vcd");
       $dumpvars(0,testbench);
       // clk  = #CLK_HALF_PERIOD ~clk; 
       $display("%0t, Reseting system", $time);
       error_count = 0;
       bcd  = 4'h0;
       reset = #TP 1'b1;
       repeat (30) @ (posedge clk);
       reset  = #TP 1'b0;
       repeat (30) @ (posedge clk);
       $display("%0t, Begin BCD test", $time); // This displays a message


       for (ii = 0; ii < 10; ii = ii + 1)
          begin
          repeat (1) @ (posedge clk);
          bcd  = ii[3:0];
          repeat (1) @ (posedge clk); 
          if (seven_seg_display !== seven_seg_prediction(bcd)) 
             begin
                $display("%0t, ERROR: For BCD %d, module output 0b%07b does not match prediction logic value of 0b%07b.",$time,bcd, seven_seg_display,seven_seg_prediction(bcd));
                error_count = error_count + 1;
             end
          end
       $display("%0t, Test Complete with %d errors", $time, error_count);
       $display("%0t, Test %s", $time, ~|error_count ? "pass." : "fail.");
       $finish ; // This causes the simulation to end.
     end


parameter SEG_A = 7'b0000001;
parameter SEG_B = 7'b0000010;
parameter SEG_C = 7'b0000100;
parameter SEG_D = 7'b0001000;
parameter SEG_E = 7'b0010000;
parameter SEG_F = 7'b0100000;
parameter SEG_G = 7'b1000000;

function [6:0] seven_seg_prediction;
   input [3:0] bcd_in;

   //    +--- A ---+
   //    |         |
   //    F         B
   //    |         |
   //    +--- G ---+
   //    |         |
   //    E         C
   //    |         |
   //    +--- D ---+

   begin
      case (bcd_in)
         4'h0: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_B | SEG_C | SEG_D | SEG_E | SEG_F;
         4'h1: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_B | SEG_C;
         4'h2: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_B | SEG_G | SEG_E | SEG_D;
         4'h3: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_B | SEG_G | SEG_C | SEG_D;
         4'h4: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_F | SEG_G | SEG_B | SEG_C;
         4'h5: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_F | SEG_G | SEG_C | SEG_D;
         4'h6: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_F | SEG_G | SEG_E | SEG_C | SEG_D;
         4'h7: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_B | SEG_C;
         4'h8: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_B | SEG_C | SEG_D | SEG_E | SEG_F | SEG_G;
         4'h9: seven_seg_prediction = SEG_A | SEG_F | SEG_G | SEG_B | SEG_C;
         default: seven_seg_prediction = 7'h0;
      endcase
   end
endfunction


bcd_to_7seg u0_bcd_to_7seg (
.clk               (clk),
.reset             (reset),
.bcd               (bcd),
.seven_seg_display (seven_seg_display)
);


endmodule

Now that we have two files, a testbench.v and bcd_to_7seg.v, we need to compile, elaborate using Icarus. To do this:

$ iverilog -o testbench.vvp testbench.v bcd_to_7seg.v

Next we need to simulate

$ vvp testbench.vvp 
LXT2 info: dumpfile testbench.vcd opened for output.
0, Reseting system
6000, Begin BCD test
8000, Test Complete with          0 errors
8000, Test pass. 

At this point if you want to validate the file is really being tested, go into the bcd_2_7seg.v file and move some of the logic around and repeat those first two steps.

As an example I change the line seg_c <= #TP bcd != 2; to seg_c <= #TP bcd != 4;. Recompile and simulate does the following:

$ iverilog -o testbench.vvp testbench.v bcd_to_7seg.v
$ vvp testbench.vvp 
LXT2 info: dumpfile testbench.vcd opened for output.
0, Reseting system
6000, Begin BCD test
6600, ERROR: For BCD  2, module output 0b1011111 does not match prediction logic value of 0b1011011.
7000, ERROR: For BCD  4, module output 0b1100010 does not match prediction logic value of 0b1100110.
8000, Test Complete with          2 errors
8000, Test fail.
$

So now, lets view the simulation using GTKWave. From the command line, issue a

gtkwave testbench.vcd &

When the GTKWave window appears, you will see in the upper left hand box, the module name testbench. Click it. This will reveal the sub-modules, tasks, and functions associated with that file. Wires and registers will also appear in the lower left hand box.

Now drag, clk, bcd, error_count and seven_seg_display into the signal box next to the waveform window. The signals will now be plotted. Error_count will show you which particular BCD input generated the wrong seven_seg_display output.

You are now ready to troubleshoot a Verilog bug graphically.