Circuit design instrumentation for state visualization
AssigneeAltera Corporation
InventorMichael Hutton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit includes user storage circuits, a local control circuit, and scan storage circuits arranged in a scan chain. At least a portion of a design-under-test is implemented in a subset of the integrated circuit that comprises the user storage circuits. The local control circuit retrieves data stored in the user storage circuits through the scan storage circuits without erasing the data stored in the user storage circuits after halting oscillations in a user clock signal that clocks the user storage circuits. The local control circuit restarts oscillations in the user clock signal after the data is provided from the user storage circuits to the scan storage circuits.
Claims20
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for interfacing with an integrated circuit, wherein at least a portion of a design-under-test is implemented in a subset of the integrated circuit, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprises instructions for:
- directing a local control circuit in the integrated circuit to halt a clock signal that clocks a plurality of storage circuits in the subset of the integrated circuit;
- directing the local control circuit to retrieve data stored in the plurality of storage circuits using a plurality of scan storage circuits that are arranged in a scan chain without erasing the data stored in the plurality of storage circuits;
- receiving the retrieved data from the local control circuit;
- and
- directing the local control circuit to resume the clock signal.
A method for interfacing with an integrated circuit, wherein at least a portion of a design-under-test is implemented in a subset of the integrated circuit, and wherein the method comprises:
- directing a local control circuit in the integrated circuit to halt oscillations in a clock signal that clocks a plurality of storage circuits in the subset of the integrated circuit;
- directing the local control circuit to retrieve data stored in the plurality of storage circuits using a plurality of scan storage circuits that are arranged in a scan chain without erasing the data stored in the plurality of storage circuits;
- receiving the retrieved data from the local control circuit;
- and
- directing the local control circuit to restart oscillations in the clock signal.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- user storage circuits, wherein at least a portion of a design-under-test is implemented in a subset of the integrated circuit that comprises the user storage circuits;
- a local control circuit;
- and
- scan storage circuits arranged in a scan chain, wherein the local control circuit retrieves data stored in the user storage circuits through the scan storage circuits without erasing the data stored in the user storage circuits after halting oscillations in a user clock signal that clocks the user storage circuits,
- wherein the local control circuit restarts oscillations in the user clock signal after the data is provided from the user storage circuits to the scan storage circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.