Detection of unintended dependencies in hardware designs with pseudo-random number generators

A computer system for detection of unintended dependencies between hardware design signals from pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) taps, comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage media, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
• identifying one or more pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) tap points in a hardware design as an execution sequence;
• sampling the tap points by propagating the tap points onto fanout signals in the design with different delays;
• defining observation points to identify tap collisions based on the tap points;
• identifying tap collisions;
• identifying one or more sources of the tap collisions in the design;
• eliminating the one or more sources of uninteresting tap collisions out of the tap collisions;
• and
• filtering one or more of the tap collisions.

A computer program product for detection of unintended dependencies between hardware design signals from pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) taps, comprising:

• one or more computer-readable tangible storage media and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage media, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
• identifying one or more pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) tap points in a hardware design as an execution sequence;
• sampling the tap points by propagating the tap points onto fanout signals in the design with different delays;
• defining observation points to identify tap collisions based on the tap points;
• identifying tap collisions;
• identifying one or more sources of the tap collisions in the design;
• eliminating the one or more sources of uninteresting tap collisions out of the tap collisions;
• and
• filtering one or more of the tap collisions.