Dynamic multi-purpose external access points connected to core interfaces within a system on chip (soc)

A method for designing a system on chip, comprising:

• in response to detecting an IP block placed in a design for a system on chip and an input and output interface of the IP block inter-connected with at least one other input and output interface of another IP block through an inter-chip communication link, setting a particular bit for the inter-chip communication link in a control bit register comprising a plurality of bits;
• specifying an external access point for the inter-chip communication link in the design;
• inserting a bidirectional access port selectable according to the particular bit of the control bit register into the inter-chip communication link in the design, wherein the bidirectional access port is dynamically selectable as each of an input interface and an output interface by according to the setting in the particular bit;
• and
• setting the access port to the external access point for an external access to the IP block within the design for the system on chip for providing an external access to the input and output interface of a core manufactured in the system on chip for the IP block in the design.

A method for testing each individual core of a plurality of cores integrated into an integrated circuit device, comprising:

• setting, by a debugging controller, a plurality of bidirectional access ports within an integrated circuit device, each of the plurality of bidirectional access ports connected to a separate external access point of a plurality of external access points of the integrated circuit device, to enable each of the plurality of bidirectional access ports to operate as an external output port for outputting a separate signal from a separate output interface of one of a plurality of cores integrated within the integrated circuit device onto a separate external access point of the plurality of external access points;
• running, by a debugging controller, a test sequence on the integrated circuit device;
• analyzing, by the debugging controller the outputs read from the plurality of external access points to determine whether each core of the plurality of cores is functional;
• and
• in response to detecting from the outputs read from the plurality of external access points that a particular core of the plurality of cores has failed, selecting, by the debugging controller, a first selection of the plurality of bidirectional access ports to set to operate as an external input port for receiving signals from an output interface of an external core and selecting a second selection of the plurality of bidirectional access ports to set to operate as an external output port for signals output from at least one of the plurality of cores to enable replacement of the particular core within the integrated circuit device by the external core.