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Course contents

  • How to Use This Puzzle Bank
  • SystemVerilog Language Puzzles25
  • Difficulty Guide
  • Full Topic Map
  • Interview-Day Tips
  • OOP & Testbench Puzzles25
  • Concurrency & Timing Puzzles25
    • Event Scheduling Puzzles
    • Race Condition Puzzles
    • Clocking Block Puzzles
      • Why First Sample Sees Old grant
      • Interpreting |=> ##1 in Clocking Domain
      • output #1step Misses Current Edge
      • input #0 vs input #1step Snapshot
      • Raw @posedge Monitor vs @(cb) Monitor
      • Mixing Direct Drive and cb Drive
    • Semaphore & Mailbox Puzzles
    • Concurrency & Timing Puzzles: Tricky Q&A
  • Randomization & Constraint Puzzles25
  • SVA Assertion Puzzles25
  • Functional Coverage Puzzles25
  • Logic & Aptitude Puzzles25
  • Scenario & Debug Puzzles25
  • Interview Prep: Puzzle Rounds5
  • DV Puzzle Cheatsheet
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‹Concurrency & Timing Puzzles
  1. Topics
  2. DV Interview Puzzles
  3. Concurrency & Timing Puzzles
  4. Clocking Block Puzzles

VLSI DV Interview Puzzles · All levels

Clocking Block Puzzles

Clocking blocks remove many races, but only when skew and cycle-delay semantics are understood precisely. These puzzles test sampling versus driving instants, plus `##1` expectations in clocking-domain assertions.

  • 6topics
  • 6lessons

Topics in this section

  1. 1Why First Sample Sees Old grant1 lesson
  2. 2Interpreting |=> ##1 in Clocking Domain1 lesson
  3. 3output #1step Misses Current Edge1 lesson
  4. 4input #0 vs input #1step Snapshot1 lesson
  5. 5Raw @posedge Monitor vs @(cb) Monitor1 lesson
  6. 6Mixing Direct Drive and cb Drive1 lesson
On this page

    About this puzzle set

    Clocking blocks remove many races, but only when skew and cycle-delay semantics are understood precisely. These puzzles test sampling versus driving instants, plus `##1` expectations in clocking-domain assertions.

    Puzzles in this topic

    Diagram
    1. Why First Sample Sees Old grant  [Medium]
    2. Interpreting |=> ##1 in Clocking Domain  [Hard]
    3. output #1step Misses Current Edge  [Medium]
    4. input #0 vs input #1step Snapshot  [Hard]
    5. Raw @posedge Monitor vs @(cb) Monitor  [Medium]
    6. Mixing Direct Drive and cb Drive  [Hard]

    Work each puzzle before reading the solution: predict the exact output or answer, name the rule that governs it, then check yourself.

    SV scheduling regions at puzzle scale

    Diagram
    SYSTEMVERILOG EVENT REGIONS (SIMPLIFIED ORDER)
    
    time slot T
       |
       +--> ACTIVE   : blocking statements, RHS sampling
       +--> INACTIVE : #0 queued work
       +--> NBA      : non-blocking LHS updates commit
       +--> OBSERVED : assertions sample stable design values
       +--> REACTIVE : testbench/program reaction code
    
    If behavior looks impossible, ask: "Which region saw which value?"

    Related topics

    • Concurrency & Timing Puzzles section

    • VLSI DV Interview Puzzles hub

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    See also

    • Event Scheduling Puzzles
    • Race Condition Puzzles
    • Semaphore & Mailbox Puzzles