[We apologize if you received multiple copies of this message] N N SSSSS M M V V 2222 NN N S MM MM V V 2 2 N N N S M M M M V V 2 N N N u u SSSSS M M M V V 2 N N N u u S M M V V 2 N NN u u S M M V V 2 N N uuuu SSSSS M M V 222222 V E R S I O N 2 . 3 . 0 (July 19, 2005) We are happy to announce the availability of a new version of the NuSMV model checker. NuSMV version 2.3.0 is available from http://nusmv.irst.itc.it NuSMV 2 extends the previous versions of NuSMV with several new features, most notably with the possibility of performing SAT-based Bounded Model Checking (see the OVERVIEW below). NuSMV 2.3.0 is a major revision aiming to enable users to specify and check properties expressed in PSL -- the Accellera (and upcoming IEEE) standard Property Specification Language. ======== OVERVIEW ======== NuSMV is a reimplementation and extension of SMV, the first model checker based on BDDs. It has been designed to be an open architecture for model checking, which can be reliably used for the verification of industrial designs, as a core for custom verification tools, and as a testbed for formal verification techniques. NuSMV version 2 extends NuSMV with new model checking algorithms and techniques. It combines classical BDD-based techniques with SAT-based techniques. It also presents other new features: for instance, it allows for a more powerful manipulation of multiple models; it can generate flat models for the whole language; it allows for cone of influence reduction. The BDD-based model checking component exploits the CUDD library developed by Fabio Somenzi at Colorado University. The SAT-based model checking component includes an RBC-based Bounded Model Checker, connected to the SIM SAT library developed by the University of Genova. Optionally, NuSMV can also be used with the ZCHAFF SAT library developed by Princeton University. NuSMV version 2 is distributed with an OpenSource license, namely the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). The aim is to provide a publicly available state-of-the-art symbolic model checker. With the OpenSource development model, a whole community participates in the development of a software systems, with a distributed team and independent peer review. This may result in a rapid system evolution, and in increased software quality and reliability: for instance, the OpenSource model has boosted the take-up of notable software systems, such as Linux and Apache. With the NuSMV OpenSource project, we would like to reach the same goals within the model checking community, opening the development of NuSMV. Further details on NuSMV 2 and on the NuSMV project can be found in paper: A. Cimatti, E. Clarke, E. Giunchiglia, F. Giunchiglia, M. Pistore, M. Roveri, R. Sebastiani, and A. Tacchella. "NuSMV 2: An OpenSource Tool for Symbolic Model Checking". In Proc. CAV'02, LNCS. Springer Verlag, 2002. ==== NEWS ==== This is a major release of NuSMV aiming to enable users to specify and check properties expressed in PSL -- the Accellera (and upcoming IEEE) standard Property Specification Language. PSL is becoming one of the most popular property specification languages across the EDA community, both in simulation and in formal verification. It is intuitive, and easy to learn, read, and write. In a nutshell, PSL extends linear temporal logics with the power of regular expressions, and it is thus able to capture all omega-regular properties. PSL is defined in four layers: * the Boolean layer allows to write expressions over states. * the Temporal layer uses Boolean expressions to specify behavior over time. * the Verification layer consists of directives that specify how tools should use temporal layer specifications to verify functionality of a design. * the Modeling layer defines the environment within which verification is to occur. PSL is defined in various flavors, each corresponding to a particular underlying hardware description language. The flavor determines the syntax of the Boolean and modeling layers, and allows easy, interoperable use of PSL across languages and design flows. This version of NuSMV supports PSL with a new NuSMV flavor, and is currently restricted to a subset of the Boolean and Temporal layers. More comprehensive support will be implemented in the forthcoming releases. This release was developed as part of the activity within the PROSYD project (http://www.prosyd.org -- Property-Based System Design), a STREP project funded under the VI framework of the IST EU program. * Minor changes - Fixed a bug in the interactive shell that inhibited the possibility to introduce and verify new properties to be interpreted and thus instantiated within a module declared in the input file. - Fixed a bug in the system interactive command 'check_fsm'. ========= COPYRIGHT ========= NuSMV version 2 (NuSMV 2 in short) is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL in short). A copy of LGPL-2.1 can be found at url . The aim of the NuSMV OpenSource project is to allow anybody interested to participate to the development of NuSMV. To this purpose, we have chosen a license that: 1) permits to use the system in research and commercial applications, without restrictions; 2) is "copyleft", that is, it requires that anyone who improves the system has to make the improvements freely available. In brief, the LGPL license allows anyone to freely download, copy, use, modify, and redistribute NuSMV 2, proviso that any modification and/or extension to the library is made publicly available under the terms of LGPL. The license also allows the usage of the NuSMV 2 as part of a larger software system *without* being obliged to distributing the whole software under LGPL. Also in this case, the modification to NuSMV 2 (*not* to the larger software) should be made available under LGPL. Notice that zchaff is for non-commercial purposes only. NO COMMERCIAL USE OF ZCHAFF IS ALLOWED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY. Please contact Sharad Malik (malik AT ee.princeton.edu) for details. Notice also that the CUDD library is copyright University of Colorado. The CUDD library is *not* covered by LGPL. Please contact if you have any doubt or comment on the license. ======== PARTNERS ======== Different partners have participated to the initial release of NuSMV 2. Every source file in the NuSMV 2 distribution contains a header that acknowledges the developers and the copyright holders for the file. In particular: * CMU and ITC-IRST contributed the source code of NuSMV version 1; * ITC-IRST has also developed several extensions for NuSMV 2; * ITC-IRST and the University of Trento have developed the SAT-based Bounded Model Checking package of NuSMV 2; * the University of Genova has contributed SIM, a state-of-the-art SAT solver, and the RBC package used in the Bounded Model Checking algorithms. The NuSMV team has also received several contributions for different part of the system. In particular: * Ariel Fuxman has extended the LTL to SMV tableau translator to the past fragment of LTL * Rik Eshuis has contributed a strong fairness model checking algorithm for LTL specifications * Dan Sheridan has contributed several extensions and enhancements to the Bounded Model Checking algorithms. Statements of interest have also come from several other commercial and academic institutions. ================ GETTING IN TOUCH ================ The home page of the NuSMV project is . For questions, comments, or information on NuSMV, please e-mail to . For getting in touch with the NuSMV development staff, please email to . ============= MAILING LISTS ============= We maintain two mailing lists on NuSMV: * nusmv-users General questions, bugs and bug fixes, possible extensions and user requests on NuSMV can be discussed on this list. * nusmv-announce New releases and other important events for NuSMV will be announced on this list. If you are interested in the usage and in the development of NuSMV, we encourage you to subscribe to these mailing lists, using the form available at url . =========== BUG REPORTS =========== We have performed an extensive test activity on NuSMV2. Still, NuSMV is large software system and contains many interacting features. If you find a bug or misbehavior, please let us know, so that we can fix it for the next releases of NuSMV. You can use the bug report form available at url , or send an email to with the description of the bug. -- NuSMV Staff http://nusmv.irst.itc.it/