DVClub Dallas - September 22, 2026, Presenter, Cliff Cummings

DVClub has decided to add a NEW city to our already expansive line-up: welcome DVClub DALLAS, TEXAS! We are very excited to announce this upcoming event at the Norris Conference Center in Dallas. There is no cost (as usual); this FREE event includes lunch, presentation and networking opportunities.

• 11:30am — Doors Open / Networking
• 12:00pm — Lunch / Presentation Cliff Cummings
• 1:00pm — Networking

Presentation - Cliff Cummings

"The Untapped Power of UVM Resources and Why Engineers Should Use the uvm_resource_db API"

The resource database has been part of UVM since its first release. It was built to replace the cumbersome and inefficient set_config/get_config Application Programming Interface (API) used to configure testbenches. The UVM resource database greatly expanded the capabilities of the old set_config/get_config API. It could store values of any type in a centralized database, which could be accessed from anywhere in a testbench. The uvm_resource_db API is simple to use and allows storage and retrieval by any module and UVM testbench class, including transactions and sequences. Later, a second API, uvm_config_db, was added to provide backward compatibility with the old OVM set_config_* API. This provided a way for users of set_config/get_config to transition to the resource database. The uvm_config_db API was never intended to be the primary interface to the resource database, yet in practice, it has become so. The problem is that the uvm_config_db API imposes the ridiculous restriction that only UVM testbench components can set and retrieve items stored in the resource database. This DVClub presentation will explain how UVM resources work and how to use the simple and powerful uvm_resource_db API. This presentation will also outline the shortcomings and misconceptions of the uvm_config_db API and explain why engineers should stop using it.

Cliff Cummings is Vice President of Training at Paradigm Works and Founder of Sunburst Design. Cliff teaches world-class SystemVerilog, UVM, CDC and synthesis training classes. Cliff has more than 40 years of ASIC, FPGA and system design experience and more than 30 years of combined Verilog, SystemVerilog, UVM verification, synthesis, and methodology training experience. Cliff has taught expert Verilog, SystemVerilog, Design Synthesis, CDC and UVM Verification to thousands of engineers world-wide and has presented more than 50 papers on these topics, including more than 30 that were voted Best Paper. Cliff holds a BSEE from Brigham Young University and an MSEE from Oregon State University.

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