C++ Verilator Testbench Generator

VerifiedSafe

Generates a C++ Verilator testbench for a hardware module using its spec.json specification.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
TestingIntermediate
7/25/2026
Claude Code
#verilator#cpp#hardware-verification#testbench#spec-driven

Recommended for

Automated summary

Generates a C++ Verilator testbench for a hardware module from its workspace spec.json, following the project's testbench-generator conventions.

Strengths

  • Reads spec.json from disk, so it works in a fresh session without prior conversation context.
  • Validates that the module name is PascalCase and asks for a corrected name when invalid.
  • Applies the rules in agents/testbench-generator.md, including a UVM-inspired architecture and standardized PASS/FAIL output.
  • Writes the result to the expected path workspace/<ModuleName>/sim/tb_<ModuleName>.cpp.

Limitations

  • Stops if workspace/<ModuleName>/spec.json is missing and directs the user to /chip-agent:requirement-parser.
  • Produces only C++ Verilator testbenches, not testbenches for other verification frameworks or languages.
  • Model invocation is disabled, so the skill must be triggered explicitly through its slash command.
When to use it

Use when a module already has workspace/<ModuleName>/spec.json and you need a C++ Verilator testbench generated before simulation.

When not to use it

Do not use when spec.json does not exist yet, when the verification flow is not Verilator-based, or when the module specification still needs to be created.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score86/100

The skill uses Read, Write, Grep, Glob, and Bash only to locate files, read a local spec, and create a directory before writing a generated testbench. No destructive commands, network calls, secret handling, or unsafe execution patterns are present. The Bash usage is limited to a safe directory creation command.

Findings
  • •Declares Bash tool but only uses it for mkdir -p, which is benign.
  • •Reads spec.json and an agent definition file from workspace; no network or external data exfiltration.
  • •Writes a generated C++ file to the workspace; no destructive or obfuscated commands.
How this analysis is made

Examples

ALU testbench
/chip-agent:testbench ALU
Counter testbench
/chip-agent:testbench Counter
SimpleRISCV testbench
/chip-agent:testbench SimpleRISCV

name: testbench description: Generate a C++ Verilator testbench from a module's spec.json, reading the spec from the workspace directory. disable-model-invocation: true allowed-tools:

  • Read
  • Write
  • Bash
  • Grep
  • Glob

chip-agent:testbench

Generate a C++ Verilator testbench for a hardware module using its spec.json specification.

Usage

/chip-agent:testbench <ModuleName>

Instructions

  1. Extract the module name from $ARGUMENTS. If $ARGUMENTS is empty or blank, ask the user: "Which module should I generate a testbench for? Please provide a PascalCase module name (e.g., ALU, Counter, SimpleRISCV)."

  2. Validate the module name. The name must be PascalCase: first character uppercase, no spaces, no hyphens, only alphanumeric characters. If invalid, inform the user and ask for a corrected name.

  3. Determine the project root directory by finding the nearest ancestor directory of this skill file that contains .claude. Use that directory as the base for all relative paths below.

  4. Read the spec from workspace. Use the Read tool to load:

    workspace/<ModuleName>/spec.json
    

    If the file does not exist, STOP and tell the user: "No spec.json found for <ModuleName>. Run /chip-agent:requirement-parser first to create a specification."

    This step reads spec.json from disk, NOT from conversation context. This ensures the testbench skill works correctly even in a fresh session where no prior conversation about the module exists.

  5. Read the testbench-generator agent definition at agents/testbench-generator.md (relative to the project root). This agent contains the full testbench generation rules, templates, and conventions for both simple and complex (CPU reference model) designs.

  6. Follow the agent's instructions using the spec JSON content to generate a C++ testbench. Apply all rules from the agent definition including:

    • Correct testbench mode selection (simple vs reference-model)
    • UVM-inspired architecture (TestCase struct, driver, monitor, scoreboard, reporter)
    • Verilator port naming with io_ prefix
    • Test vector generation with boundary and edge cases
    • Standardized output format: [TEST N] ... PASS/FAIL and RESULT: PASSED/FAILED X/Y tests
  7. Write the testbench to the workspace path. IMPORTANT: Override the agent's default output path. Write to:

    workspace/<ModuleName>/sim/tb_<ModuleName>.cpp
    

    NOT to the agent's flat-mode default of sim/tb_<ModuleName>.cpp. Ensure the directory exists first:

    mkdir -p workspace/<ModuleName>/sim
    
  8. Confirm to the user:

    • Testbench path: workspace/<ModuleName>/sim/tb_<ModuleName>.cpp
    • Test vector count: N test cases covering M operations
    • Next step: "Run /chip-agent:simulate <ModuleName> to compile and execute the testbench."

Input

$ARGUMENTS -- A PascalCase module name (e.g., ALU, Counter, SimpleRISCV). The module must have a workspace/<ModuleName>/spec.json file created by /chip-agent:requirement-parser.

Output

workspace/<ModuleName>/sim/tb_<ModuleName>.cpp containing a complete C++ Verilator testbench ready for simulation.

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/download' --output '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/testbench' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin' '.claude/skills/testbench'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin'

openskills read 'c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/c-verilator-testbench-generator-mrzxuqin/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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