Virtual Interface
Table of Contents
A virtual interface is a variable that represents an interface instance.
- The virtual interface must be initialized before using it. i.e, Virtual interface must be connected/pointed to the actual interface
- Accessing the uninitialized virtual interface result in a run-time fatal error
- Virtual interfaces can be declared as class properties, which can be initialized procedural or by an argument to new()
- The virtual interfaces can be passed as arguments to the tasks, functions, or methods
- All the interface variables/Methods can be accessed via a virtual interface handle. i.e virtual_interface.variable
- A single virtual interface variable can thus represent different interface instances at different times throughout the simulation
Only the following operations are directly allowed on virtual interface variables,
- Assignment ( = ) to and Equality ( == ), inequality ( != ) with,
- another virtual interface of the same type
- an interface instance of the same type
- the special constant null
What is the need for a virtual interface in SystemVerilog?
SystemVerilog interface is static in nature, whereas classes are dynamic in nature. because of this reason, it is not allowed to declare the interface within classes, but it is allowed to refer to or point to the interface. A virtual interface is a variable of an interface type that is used in classes to provide access to the interface signals.
Syntax
virtual interface_name instance_name;
Virtual Interface example
The below example shows the declaration of a virtual interface, connecting the virtual interface to an interface, and accessing interface signals with a virtual interface handle.
Virtual Interface declaration
//virtual interface virtual intf vif;
Connecting virtual interface with interface
//constructor function new(virtual intf vif); //get the interface from test this.vif = vif; endfunction
Accessing interface signal using a virtual interface handle
vif.a = 6;
vif.b = 4;
$display("Value of a = %0d, b = %0d",vif.a,vif.b);
#5;
$display("Sum of a and b, c = %0d",vif.c);
Complete env code
class environment;
//virtual interface
virtual intf vif;
//constructor
function new(virtual intf vif);
//get the interface from test
this.vif = vif;
endfunction
//run task
task run;
vif.a = 6;
vif.b = 4;
$display("Value of a = %0d, b = %0d",vif.a,vif.b);
#5;
$display("Sum of a and b, c = %0d",vif.c);
$finish;
endtask
endclass
TestCase Code
Testcase receives the interface handle from the testcase and passes it to env.
program test(intf i_intf);
//declaring environment instance
environment env;
initial begin
//creating environment
env = new(i_intf);
//calling run of env
env.run();
end
endprogram
tbench_top Code
tbench_to is the top file, in which design instance, interface instance, and the test case is instantiated.
module tbench_top;
//creatinng instance of interface
intf i_intf();
//Testcase instance
test t1(i_intf);
//DUT instance, interface signals are connected to the DUT ports
adder DUT (
.a(i_intf.a),
.b(i_intf.b),
.c(i_intf.c)
);
endmodule
Simulator Output
Value of a = 6, b = 4 Sum of a and b, c = 10
