The AUTOASSERT project, funded under grant 16ME0116K by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, ran from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023. It was carried out by COSEDA Technologies GmbH, a startup that develops the COSIDE® virtual‑prototype environment based on SystemC AMS, and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). COSEDA focused on integrating the developed tools into its commercial product line, while DFKI provided the theoretical foundations, algorithms, and core library implementation. The collaboration produced nine peer‑reviewed papers presented at international conferences and laid the groundwork for a future standard within the Accellera Systems Initiative.

Technically, AUTOASSERT delivered an assertion‑based verification framework that extends the highly successful digital‑only methodology to full system‑level verification of heterogeneous analog‑digital virtual prototypes. The core contribution is a reusable assertion library for SystemC AMS that supports mixed‑signal, continuous‑time, and discrete‑time components. The library enables constraint‑random stimulus generation and assertion‑based checking across hardware, firmware, and software layers, thereby allowing the simulator to automatically generate, execute, and evaluate test scenarios. This approach increases test coverage proportionally to simulation time without additional manual test‑case effort. In addition, the project introduced new debugging techniques for failed assertions, providing traceability back to the originating component and the specific assertion rule that was violated. A cross‑language verification method was also developed, allowing assertions written in different high‑level languages to be evaluated within a single simulation run, which is essential for modern multi‑domain designs.

The work was organized into four interrelated work packages. AP1 established the system‑wide assertion methodology and defined the requirements for the library, taking into account industrial customer needs. AP2 implemented the library, including a backend that translates high‑level assertions into executable checks within the SystemC AMS simulation kernel. AP3 focused on mixed‑language tooling, enabling the integration of assertions written in C++, SystemVerilog, and other languages into a unified verification environment. AP4 evaluated the results on representative heterogeneous prototypes, demonstrating the scalability and effectiveness of the approach. Throughout the project, the partners iterated on the library design in response to feedback from the Accellera standardization process, ensuring that the final artifact is compatible with industry expectations.

The outcome of AUTOASSERT is a ready‑to‑use assertion library that COSEDA will ship with its COSIDE® platform, giving customers a powerful, automated system‑level verification tool that covers both analog and digital behavior as well as embedded software. By aligning the library with Accellera standards, the project aims to foster widespread adoption and interoperability across the semiconductor and automotive industries. The combination of rigorous scientific development, extensive peer‑reviewed dissemination, and close collaboration between a commercial vendor and a research institute positions AUTOASSERT as a significant step toward more reliable, efficient design of future complex electronic systems.