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Overview
NuSMV is a re-implementation 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 test-bed for formal verification techniques.
NuSMV version 2 extends NuSMV with new model checking algorithms and techniques. It combines classical BDD-based symbolic 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 a SAT solver to be compiled separately (instructions and building support are batteries included in NuSMV, details are underneath). The currently available SAT solvers are: + The ZCHAFF SAT library developed by the Princeton University + The MINISAT SAT library developed by Niklas Een or Niklas Sorensson.
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.
You can find further details on NuSMV 2 and on the NuSMV project 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.
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 <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.txt>.
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:
- permits to use the system in research and commercial applications, without restrictions;
- 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@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 <nusmv@list.fbk.eu> 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.
- FBK-irst has developed version 2.5.0 and later.
The NuSMV team has also received several contributions for different part of the system. In particular:
- Ariel Fuxman <afuxman@cs.toronto.edu> has extended the LTL to SMV tableau translator to the past fragment of LTL
- Rik Eshuis <eshuis@cs.utwente.nl> has contributed a strong fairness model checking algorithm for LTL specifications
- Dan Sheridan <dan.sheridan@contact.org.uk> 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.
Mailing Lists
Refer to this page.
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 send an email to <nusmv-users@list.fbk.eu> with the description of the bug. Refer to this page for more information.
