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DescriptionQ942
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Q942DVASIC interview problem

Close signed pivot-index coverage

TechniquesPrefix sumSigned arithmeticSemantic coveragePriority
DifficultyMedium
TopicFunctional Coverage
LanguageSystemVerilog
Requirements5 checkpoints
01

Problem

Write a signed reference function and semantic coverage model for a balance-point design that returns the earliest index whose strict-left sum equals its strict-right sum.

Example input and output

Use this case to check your interpretation
Input
signed values=[1,7,3,6,5,6]
Output
pivot_found=1; pivot_index=3
Explanation

At index 3 the strict-left sum is 11 and the strict-right sum is 11; scanning upward makes this the earliest match.

02

Requirements (5)

  • Accumulate total and left sums in signed 16-bit-or-wider storage and exclude the candidate element from both sides.
  • Return the first match; count zero is legal with no pivot, and a one-element array has pivot zero.
  • For count greater than 16, require request_error, pivot_found=0, and pivot_index=0.
  • Define coverage sampling at a completed, matched transaction rather than at request issue.
  • Cover no, unique, and multiple solutions crossed with first/interior/last position, data-sign class, and count 0/1/16.