This is a remarkable book.
Jason Andrews knows about the hardware and the software. He knows about the
people, the tools, and the methodologies in the middle ground between hardware
and software.
He can also write, explaining complex things so that you can really understand them.
One of the main reasons this middle area is so complex is there are just too many
interacting issues to understand and too many decisions to make.
Jason takes care to enumerate the issues, explain how they interact, and describe the options for dealing with them.
Best of all, he explains which tools and methodologies are applicable for each situation.
This is crucial because there are many distinct solutions for the problem, and
you cannot possibly use them all. You need to make an informed judgment on what
to do when.
Jason has either used or implemented most of these solutions, some of them twice,
and he gives a very informed tour of the land and guides you through the possible
compromises.
Please note that while Jason and I work for a verification company (Verisity) that
would love to sell you verification solutions, this book is decidedly generic. It tells you what works, what does not, and why.
While the title of the book is Co-Verification of Hardware and Software for ARM SoC
Design, I think this book has wider applicability. In fact, if any of the following apply,then you should begin by reading this book:
■ You are involved in the verification of products that contain both hardware
and software, regardless of whether they are SoC-based or ARM-based.
■ You are working on one side of the HW/SW divide, and want to see what the
other side looks like.
■ You are interested in creating tools for this area.