Syntax for looping through lower dimension of multidimensional associative array in a constraint

Question

class ns_data_struct;
  rand bit [63:0] ns_size = 64'h0000_0000_0000_0800;
endclass : ns_data_struct

class conf;
  ns_data_struct ns_data[];

  function new();
    ns_data = new[5];
    foreach (ns_data[i])
      ns_data[i] = new();
  endfunction
endclass : conf

class x;
  randc bit [63:0] slba;
  randc bit [63:0] nlb;
  bit [63:0] slba_previous [bit [31:0]][bit [63:0]];
  conf cfg;
  bit [31:0] nsid = 'h1;
  bit [63:0] num [bit [31:0]];

  constraint slba_nlb_inside_ns_c
  {
    slba inside {[1:cfg.ns_data[nsid-1].ns_size]};
    nlb inside {[0:(cfg.ns_data[nsid-1].ns_size - slba)]};
  }

  constraint slba_nlb_non_overlapping_c
  {
    foreach(slba_previous[nsid, i])
    {
      if(!(i%2))
      {
        slba < slba_previous[nsid][i] -> (slba + nlb) < slba_previous[nsid]  [i];
        slba > slba_previous[nsid][i] -> slba > slba_previous[nsid][i+1]; //  <-- Warning Here
        slba > slba_previous[nsid][i+1] -> (slba + nlb) >   slba_previous[nsid][i+1]; //  <-- Warning Here
        slba < slba_previous[nsid][i+1] -> slba < slba_previous[nsid][i]; //  <-- Warning Here
      }
    }
  }

  function void post_randomize();
    num[nsid] = (num.exists(nsid))?(num[nsid]):0;

    slba_previous[nsid][num[nsid]++] = slba;
    slba_previous[nsid][num[nsid]++] = (slba + nlb);

    $display("\nslba_previous - %p\n", slba_previous);
  endfunction

  function new (input conf _cfg);
    this.cfg = _cfg;
  endfunction: new
endclass : x

program p1;
  conf c;
  x t;

  initial
  begin
    c = new;
    t = new(c);
    t.nsid = 3;
    for(int i=0; i<15; i++)
    begin
      if(!t.randomize())
        $display("ERROR : Starting LBA & NLB Provider Randomization  Failed");
      $display("@%0t : KARAN, Starting LBA - %0h %0d", $time, t.slba, t.slba);
      $display("@%0t : KARAN, Number of LBA - %0h %0d", $time, t.nlb,  t.nlb);
    end
  end
endprogram

In this code, I am facing 2 issues in QuestaSIM.

1. In the constraint, I have used (i%2), still it is showing this warning:

   Warning : (vsim-3829) Non-existent associative array entry. Returning default value.

2. How to loop through lower dimension in 2 dimensional associative array in a constraint? foreach(slba_previous[, i]) is not working.

Answer 1

Warning can be resolved, by modifying class x, as below, in which associative array is splited into 2 arrays.

class x;
  randc bit [63:0] slba;
  randc bit [63:0] nlb;
  bit [63:0] slba_previous_low [bit [31:0]][bit [63:0]];
  bit [63:0] slba_previous_high [bit [31:0]][bit [63:0]];
  conf cfg;
  bit [31:0] nsid = 'h1;
  bit [63:0] num [bit [31:0]];

  constraint slba_nlb_inside_ns_c
  {
    slba inside {[1:cfg.ns_data[nsid-1].ns_size]};
    nlb inside {[0:(cfg.ns_data[nsid-1].ns_size - slba)]};
  }

  constraint slba_nlb_non_overlapping_c
  {
    foreach(slba_previous_low[id, i])
    {
      if(id == nsid)
      {
        slba < slba_previous_low[id][i] -> (slba + nlb) < slba_previous_low[id]  [i];
        slba > slba_previous_low[id][i] -> slba > slba_previous_high[id][i];
        slba > slba_previous_high[id][i] -> (slba + nlb) >   slba_previous_high[id][i];
        slba < slba_previous_high[id][i] -> slba < slba_previous_low[id][i];
      }
    }
  }

  function void post_randomize();
    num[nsid] = (num.exists(nsid))?(num[nsid]):0;

    slba_previous_low[nsid][num[nsid]] = slba;
    slba_previous_high[nsid][num[nsid]] = (slba + nlb);

    num[nsid]++;

    $display("\nslba_previous_low - %p\n", slba_previous_low);
    $display("\nslba_previous_high - %p\n", slba_previous_high);
  endfunction

  function new (input conf _cfg);
    this.cfg = _cfg;
  endfunction: new
endclass : x

Answer 2

When using a foreach on an double associative array, you need to include all the significant indexes. Otherwise the loop can not determine how to how many times to loop for i. The simulator also needs to handle for the case that slba_previous[nsid] doesn't exist And there for have no i to index.

You need to loop through the full slba_previous[id,i] and then check if id==nsid.

The warning is for the i+1 condition. Use the .exists() built-in function to insure the there is an existing array entry. The design may always have an even number of entries, but it looks like QuestaSIM's constraint solver is more pessimistic and and wants to consider all possibilities.

constraint slba_nlb_non_overlapping_c
{
  foreach(slba_previous[id,i])
  {
    if(id==nsid && (i%2)==0)
    {
      slba < slba_previous[id][i] -> (slba + nlb) < slba_previous[id][i];
      if (slba_previous[id].exists(i+1))
      {
        slba > slba_previous[id][i] -> slba > slba_previous[id][i+1];
        slba > slba_previous[id][i+1] -> (slba + nlb) > slba_previous[id][i+1];
        slba < slba_previous[id][i+1] -> slba < slba_previous[id][i];
      }
    }
  }
}

working example on EDA Playground