Janet Yongqi Zheng, Age 63Fremont, CA

6421634, Jul 16, 2002

Mar 4, 1999

09/262575

Glenn A. Dearth - Groton MA
David M. Kaffine - North Billerica MA
Janet Y. Zheng - Andover MA

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

G06F 9455

703 14, 703 20, 714 26, 714 33, 714 38

A system and method for circuitry design verification testing using a structure of interface independent classes to provide for rapid prototyping and design modification while maximizing test code re-use. A circuit simulation subsystem is interfaced with a test subsystem. The test subsystem employs a system transaction class for collecting common routines and pointers to device transactions. One or more configuration transaction classes derived from the system transaction class define transactions between functional models within the simulation subsystem and cause instantiation of the respective functional models. Operations are performed on the functional models via pointers to interface independent transaction classes which define interfaces to the devices. The operations are mapped to the current designs of the functional models by subclasses of the interface independent transaction classes. Changes to the functional model designs necessitate changes to the subclasses, but the interface independent transaction classes maintain a consistent interface and allow the test code to be re-used with minimal changes.