Comprehensive Verilog Design Problems: A Next-Generation Benchmark Dataset for Evaluating Large Language Models and Agents on RTL Design and Verification
This addresses the problem of evaluating AI models for hardware engineers, but it is incremental as it builds on prior benchmarks by adding more realistic tasks.
The authors introduced the Comprehensive Verilog Design Problems (CVDP) benchmark, a dataset of 783 hardware design tasks, to evaluate large language models and agents on RTL design and verification, with state-of-the-art models achieving no more than 34% pass@1 on code generation.
We present the Comprehensive Verilog Design Problems (CVDP) benchmark, a new dataset and infrastructure to advance LLM and agent research in hardware design and verification. CVDP includes 783 problems across 13 task categories, covering RTL generation, verification, debugging, specification alignment, and technical Q&A authored by experienced hardware engineers. Problems are offered in both non-agentic and agentic formats. The benchmark introduces more realistic and challenging contexts than prior work, with state-of-the-art models achieving no more than 34% pass@1 on code generation. Agentic tasks$\unicode{x2013}$especially those involving RTL reuse and verification$\unicode{x2013}$are particularly difficult. Evaluation uses open-source tools and model scoring infrastructure, with comprehension tasks assessed via BLEU and LLM-based judging. CVDP reveals substantial gaps in current model capabilities, underscoring the need for continued research toward robust, real-world hardware design automation.