Abstract

this paper, a verification method is presented which combines the advantages of deduction style proof systems like HOL with those of traditional model checking approaches. For this reason, a new class of higher order formulas is presented, which allows a unified description of hardware structure and behaviour at different levels of abstraction. Data path oriented verification goals involving abstract data types can be expressed by these formulae as well as control dominated verification goals with an unregular structure. As the latter kind of goals is hard to prove in HOL, a translation procedure is presented which converts the goals into several CTL model checking problems, which are then solved outside HOL. If a complete proof in HOL is desired, the information of the model checking proof can be used for reducing the proof goals to propositional logic, which can then be proved by TAUT TAC in HOL. The usefulness of the approach is demonstrated with examples.

Citations