DVT Debugger is unique because it allows users to debug from the same place where they develop their code. It practically eliminates the need to continuously switch between the editor - to understand the source code, and the simulator - to inspect variable values and set, enable, and disable breakpoints or advance the simulation.

Deploying the debugger requires minimal simulation flow changes. One can launch the simulation in debug mode and specify the DVT communication library using simulator-specific arguments. DVT Eclipse IDE ships with debugger configuration examples that help with deployment.

The simulator communicates with DVT Eclipse IDE through network sockets. Users can connect to a simulation running on another machine, for example from a "GUI jobs" machine to a more powerful "batch jobs" machine that executes the simulation. It is also possible to connect from a machine on which the source code is available to a machine on which the source code is encrypted.

Features

• The DVT Debug Perspective is a GUI layout focused on debug-specific activities for major HDLs and HVLs, such as Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL, and e Language. It provides simulation controls like step over, step into, or resume. It also shows the simulation context in the Editor and several dedicated Views.
• The Breakpoints View enables users to quickly inspect all breakpoints, enable or disable a specific breakpoint, or define conditional breakpoints.
• The Debug View is always connected to the editor, allowing users to move up and down the call stack and see the active line corresponding to the stack frame where the simulator stopped.
• The Variables View displays the variables associated with the stack frame selected in the Debug View such as the arguments of the current function, locally declared variables, class members, and module signals. Users can change a variable value at runtime from this view.
• The Expression View permits users to define and watch expressions. They can inspect a complex expression by selecting it in the editor and then adding a watch to the Expressions View.
• The Console View shows the simulation output and it allows users to enter simulator commands.
• Double click to add a breakpoint at a specific line in the DVT Eclipse IDE's editor. Whenever the simulator hits a breakpoint, the editor highlights the corresponding line.
• Hover a variable name to quickly see the runtime value in tooltip.