Hardware-Assisted Verification: Scaling for Modern Semiconductor Complexity

Traditional simulation-based verification methods require augmentation with hardware-assisted verification (HAV) to keep up with the sheer scale, interconnect density, and software load these systems demand. By accelerating the execution of RTL and enabling real-time interface and software validation, HAV platforms provide the throughput and insight needed to validate designs comprising billions of gates and quadrillions of verification cycles.

As a result, Synopsys has completely reimagined its ZeBu® and HAPS® HAV portfolio. At its core are the ZeBu-200 emulation platform, the HAPS-200 prototyping platform, and a shared architecture called Synopsys Emulation and Prototyping Ready (EP-Ready) Hardware, built to deliver flexibility, scalability, and reuse across verification phases and engineering teams.

This white paper discusses the forces shaping modern verification, explains why hardware-assisted methods are necessary for today’s systems, and outlines how Synopsys is enabling a new Hardware-assisted Verification (HAV) portfolio for verification and validation.