gf-errors

GF Errors — Hardware Error Translation

When any tool produces an error, translate it through three layers before presenting to the user. NEVER show raw tool output without translation.

Translation Protocol

For every error from Verilator, Yosys, GHDL, or simulation:

Layer 1 — WHAT (one sentence, plain English)

State what happened. No technical jargon. No tool names.

• BAD: "%Error: counter.sv:15:17: Cannot find signal: 'clk_in'"
• GOOD: "The signal clk_in doesn't exist in this module."

Layer 2 — WHY (1-2 sentences, context)

Explain why it happened. Reference specific lines and names.

• "Your module declares its clock input as clk (line 5), but the always block on line 15 references clk_in. These names must match."

Layer 3 — FIX (actionable, specific)

Tell the user exactly what to do. Include file, line, and the change.

• "Change clk_in to clk on line 15 of counter.sv."

Common Verilator Errors

Error Code	Layer 1 Template	Layer 2 Guidance
UNUSED	"Signal {name} is declared but never used."	Check if it should be connected or can be removed.
UNDRIVEN	"Signal {name} is never assigned a value."	It's declared but no logic drives it.
WIDTH	"Width mismatch: {lhs} is {lw} bits but {rhs} is {rw} bits."	Explicit sizing needed.
CASEINCOMPLETE	"Case statement doesn't cover all possible values."	Add a default: branch.
LATCH	"Unintended latch inferred for {name}."	A combinational block has paths where {name} isn't assigned. Add a default assignment at the top of the always_comb block.
BLKSEQ	"Blocking assignment used in sequential block."	Use <= (non-blocking) in always_ff, not = (blocking).
PINMISSING	"Port {name} on instance {inst} is not connected."	Either connect it or explicitly mark as unconnected.

Common Simulation Errors

Symptom	Layer 1	Layer 2
X-values in output	"Output {sig} has unknown (X) values."	The signal was never driven to a known state. Check reset coverage — ensure all sequential logic is reset.
Simulation hangs	"Simulation never reaches $finish."	Likely an infinite loop or missing exit condition in the testbench. Check for blocking waits without timeouts.
Assertion failure	"Assertion {name} failed at time {t}."	The property being checked was violated. Review the assertion condition and the signal values at the failure time.
Wrong output	"Output {sig} is {actual}, expected {expected}."	Logic error in the design or incorrect test expectations. Trace the signal back to its source.

Common Yosys Synthesis Errors

Error Pattern	Layer 1	Layer 2
Module not found	"Module {name} was not included in synthesis."	All source files must be passed to Yosys. Check your file list.
Unsupported construct	"Yosys doesn't support {construct} in synthesis."	This SystemVerilog feature isn't available in Yosys. Rewrite using Verilog-2005 compatible constructs.
Combinational loop	"Circular dependency detected in combinational logic."	Signal {sig} feeds back to itself without a register. Add a flip-flop to break the loop.

Usage by Orchestrator

When the /gf orchestrator receives a FAIL status from gf-lint or gf-sim, it MUST:

1. Parse the raw error output
2. Match against the tables above
3. Present the 3-layer translation to the user
4. THEN spawn the fix agent (sv-refactor or sv-debug) with the raw error

The fix agent gets the raw error. The user gets the translated version. Both see the same issue, but the user sees it in language they understand.