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OpenVera is a hardware verification language developed by Synopsys Inc., a leading company in electronic design automation. Introduced in the early 2000s, it was specifically designed to verify complex Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and digital systems-on-chips (SoCs). OpenVera offers an object-oriented approach, enabling high-level abstraction for modeling hardware behavior. Its key features include constrained-random stimulus generation and functional coverage capabilities. The language has significantly influenced the development of SystemVerilog, which was standardized by IEEE in 2005.

Ask the right questions secure the right OpenVera talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General OpenVera app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in OpenVera application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

What are the basic data types in OpenVera?

The basic data types in OpenVera are integer, bit, static array, dynamic array, associative array, queue, string, and event.

Describe the difference between static and dynamic arrays in OpenVera.

Static arrays have a fixed size that is determined at compile time while dynamic arrays have a size that can change during runtime. Dynamic arrays are more flexible but require more memory.

What is the purpose of using constraints in OpenVera?

Constraints in OpenVera are used to control the random generation of variables. They allow you to specify conditions that the variables must meet, which can be useful for creating specific test scenarios.

How would you declare a dynamic array in OpenVera?

To declare a dynamic array in OpenVera, you would use the 'dynamic' keyword followed by the type and name of the array. For example, 'dynamic bit [7:0] myArray;' declares a dynamic array of 8-bit values.

What is the role of the fork-join construct in OpenVera?

The fork-join construct in OpenVera is used to create parallel threads of execution. The 'fork' keyword starts the parallel threads, and the 'join' keyword waits for all the threads to finish before continuing.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of OpenVera language?

Can the candidate demonstrate problem-solving skills?

Does the candidate have experience with hardware verification languages?

Is the candidate able to work well in a team?

Next 20 minutes

Specific OpenVera development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should focus on the candidate's expertise with specific backend frameworks, their understanding of RESTful APIs, and their experience in handling data storage and retrieval efficiently.

How would you implement a constraint to generate a random number between 1 and 100 in OpenVera?

You would use the 'rand' function in combination with a constraint. For example, 'constraint c { num = rand(); num >= 1; num <= 100; }' would generate a random number between 1 and 100.

Describe the difference between the 'disable' and 'break' statements in OpenVera.

The 'disable' statement in OpenVera is used to stop the execution of a task or function, while the 'break' statement is used to exit a loop early.

What are the uses of the 'extern' keyword in OpenVera?

The 'extern' keyword in OpenVera is used to declare a function or task that is defined in another file or module. This allows you to use that function or task in your current file or module.

How would you use the 'event' data type in OpenVera?

The 'event' data type in OpenVera is used to synchronize tasks and threads. You would declare an event, then use the 'trigger' keyword to signal the event, and the 'wait' keyword to wait for the event.

Describe the difference between the 'wait' and 'wait fork' statements in OpenVera.

The 'wait' statement in OpenVera is used to wait for a specific condition or event, while the 'wait fork' statement is used to wait for all child threads to finish.

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At this point, a skilled OpenVera engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in OpenVera programming language, and knowledge of software development methodologies. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with standard coding practices.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with OpenVera.

What does the following OpenVera code do?
task foo();
  integer i;
  for (i=0; i<5; i=i+1)
    $display("Value of i is: %0d", i);
endtask
This code defines a task named 'foo'. Within this task, it declares an integer 'i' and initializes it to 0. Then it enters a loop which runs 5 times, each time incrementing the value of 'i' by 1. In each iteration, it displays the current value of 'i'.
What will be the output of the following OpenVera code?
randcase
  1: $display("One");
  2: $display("Two");
  3: $display("Three");
endcase
This code uses the 'randcase' statement, which is a random case statement. It will randomly select one of the case items to execute. So, the output could be either 'One', 'Two', or 'Three', depending on which case item is selected.
What does the following OpenVera code do, related to array manipulation?
integer array[10];
integer i;
for (i=0; i<10; i=i+1)
  array[i] = i*i;
This code declares an integer array of size 10 and an integer 'i'. It then enters a loop which runs 10 times, each time incrementing the value of 'i' by 1. In each iteration, it assigns the square of 'i' to the 'i'th element of the array.
What does the following OpenVera code do, related to threading?
fork
  task1();
  task2();
join
This code uses the 'fork' and 'join' keywords to create a parallel block of code. 'task1()' and 'task2()' are two tasks that will be executed concurrently. The 'join' keyword indicates that the execution should wait until both tasks have completed.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for OpenVera Developer role questions

The final few questions should evaluate the candidate's teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, assess their knowledge of microservices architecture, serverless computing, and how they handle OpenVera application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What is the purpose of the 'coverage' construct in OpenVera?

The 'coverage' construct in OpenVera is used to track which parts of the code have been executed during simulation. This can be useful for identifying untested code.

How would you implement a class hierarchy in OpenVera?

In OpenVera, you would use the 'extends' keyword to create a class hierarchy. For example, 'class B extends A;' would create a class B that inherits from class A.

Describe the difference between the 'local' and 'static' keywords in OpenVera.

The 'local' keyword in OpenVera is used to restrict the visibility of a variable to the current scope, while the 'static' keyword is used to preserve the value of a variable between invocations of a function or task.

OpenVera application related

Product Perfect's OpenVera development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your OpenVera engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in OpenVera projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

OpenVera Consultive assessments

OpenVera Application Conversion Assessment OpenVera Application Integration Assessment OpenVera Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom OpenVera development projects

Custom OpenVera App Conversion OpenVera Custom App Development Process App UI Design for OpenVera Facelifts

Hiring guide for OpenVera Engineers

OpenVera Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the OpenVera engineer at this point.

OpenVera Consultive assessments

Custom OpenVera development projects