Design and Verification of FlexSPI Controller Using UVM for Efficient Flash Access

Abstract

The Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is widely used in System-on-Chip (SoC) designs to connect peripherals such as Flash memory due to its simplicity, flexibility, and reliability. As data transmission demands increase, SPI has evolved into advanced standards such as Dual-SPI, Quad-SPI, and the latest xSPI. To bridge the gap between system buses and Flash device interfaces, a FlexSPI controller is required to ensure efficient communication. This paper presents the design and verification of a FlexSPI controller using the Universal Verification Methodology (UVM). The UVM-based verification environment enables rapid development and reuse, addressing the challenges posed by increasing chip complexity and verification costs. The proposed verification platform significantly improves simulation speed, portability, and reusability, providing a valuable reference for future bus module and interface verification tasks.