Generating test data with enhanced context-free grammars

Abstract

The use of context-free grammars to improve functional testing of very-large-scale integrated circuits is described. It is shown that enhanced context-free grammars are effective tools for generating test data. The discussion covers preliminary considerations, the first tests, generating systematic tests, and testing subroutines. The author's experience using context-free grammars to generate tests for VLSI circuit simulators indicates that they are remarkably effective tools that virtually anyone can use to debug virtually any program.