System and Method for Incorporating Design Behavior and External Stimulus in Microprocessor Emulation Model Feedback Using a Shared Memory

A computer program product stored on a computer operable media, the computer operable media containing instructions for execution by a computer, which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to implement a method for providing emulation data to a device model, the method comprising:

• loading the device model into an emulation system, the device model used to emulate design logic of a device;
• loading an attached memory model into the emulation system, the attached memory model not part of the device model and not used to emulate any portion of the design logic;
• loading an exerciser application in the attached memory model;
• in response to the loading of the attached memory model and the loading of the exerciser application, emulating the device using the device model, the emulating resulting in the execution of the exerciser application on the device model;
• and
• providing the emulation data from the attached memory model to the exerciser application during the emulation.

An information handling system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory accessible by the processors;
• one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors;
• and
• an emulation tool for providing emulation data to a device model, the emulation tool being effective to:
• load a device model into an emulation system located in the memory, the device model used to emulate design logic of a device;
• load an attached memory model into the emulation system located in the memory, the attached memory model not part of the device model and not used to emulate any portion of the design logic;
• load an exerciser application in the attached memory model located in the memory;
• in response to the loading of the attached memory model and the loading of the exerciser application, emulate the device using the device model, the emulating resulting in the execution of the exerciser application on the device model;
• and
• provide emulation data from the attached memory model to the exerciser application during the emulation.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• loading a first device model into an emulation system, the first device model used to emulate design logic of a first device;
• loading a second device model into an emulation system, the second device model used to emulate design logic of a second device;
• loading an attached memory model into the emulation system, the attached memory model not part of the first device model and the second device model, and not used to emulate any portion of the design logic of the first device and the second device;
• loading an exerciser application in the attached memory model;
• in response to the loading of the attached memory model and the loading of the exerciser application, emulating the device using the first device model, the emulating resulting in the execution of the exerciser application on the first device model;
• providing emulation data from the attached memory model to the exerciser application during the emulation;
• and
• providing, in response to the emulating, emulator-specific heuristics to the second device model.