This paper proposes an environment to address Testability Analysis and Test Pattern Generation on VHDL descriptions at rite RT-level. The proposed approach, based on a suitable fault model and an ATPG algorithm, is experimentally shown to provide a good estimate of the final gate-level fault coverage, and to give test patterns with excellent fault coverage properties. The approach, being based on an abstract representation, is particularly suited for large circuits, where gate level ATPGs are often inefficient.