Shallow vs Deep Copy in SystemVerilog (Must Know!)

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Shared February 16, 2026

Why does obj1 = obj2; break your testbench? Because in SystemVerilog, class variables are handles, not actual objects. In this short, we clearly explain: What is Shallow Copy in SystemVerilog Why assignment copies only the handle Why both objects point to the same memory How this causes hidden bugs in scoreboards Why transactions change unexpectedly What is Deep Copy How new() creates separate memory Why deep copy is critical in UVM verification environments Many beginners β€” and even experienced DV engineers β€” misunderstand this concept. If you don’t understand shallow vs deep copy, your scoreboard comparisons can silently fail. This is one of the most common SystemVerilog interview questions and a critical concept for Design Verification engineers. πŸš€ Key Concepts Covered: SystemVerilog classes Object handles vs objects Memory allocation using new() Shallow copy vs deep copy UVM copy() and clone() Transaction safety Scoreboard bugs Verification best practices If you're preparing for Design Verification interviews, working with UVM, or learning SystemVerilog OOP concepts, this short will save you from a major mistake. Follow for more: βœ” SystemVerilog concepts βœ” UVM explained simply βœ” DV interview traps βœ” Real verification debugging lessons SystemVerilog shallow copy, SystemVerilog deep copy, shallow vs deep copy in SV, SystemVerilog class assignment, obj1 = obj2 explanation, SystemVerilog handle concept, UVM copy vs clone, verification scoreboard bug, design verification concepts, systemverilog interview questions, UVM transactions, memory allocation in systemverilog, object handle vs object SV #SystemVerilog #UVM #DesignVerification #VLSI #Semiconductor #VerificationEngineer #DVEngineer #RTLVerification #SVClasses #OOP #Testbench #Scoreboard #ShallowCopy #DeepCopy #UVMConcepts #VLSICareer #ElectronicsEngineering #HardwareVerification #InterviewPreparation #LogicVerify