Verification of the IBM RISC System/6000 by a dynamic biased pseudo-random test program generator

摘要

Verification of a computer that implements a new architecture is especially difficult since no approved functional test cases are available. The logic design of the IBM RISC System/6000™ was verified mainly by a specially developed random test program operator (RTPG), which was used from the early stages of the design until its successful completion. APL was chosen for the RISC System/6000 RTPG implementation after considering the suitability of this programming language for modeling computer architectures, the very tight schedule, and the highly changeable environment in which RTPG would operate.