Hardware debugging in a hardware description language
AssigneeSynplicity, Inc.
InventorsNils Endric Schubert, John Mark Beardslee, Douglas L. Perry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques and systems for analysis, diagnosis and debugging fabricated hardware designs at a Hardware Description Language (HDL) level are described. Although the hardware designs (which were designed in HDL) have been fabricated in integrated circuit products with limited input/output pins, the techniques and systems enable the hardware designs within the integrated circuit products to be comprehensively analyzed, diagnosed, and debugged at the HDL level at speed. The ability to debug hardware designs at the HDL level facilitates correction or adjustment of the HDL description of the hardware designs.
Claims41
A hardware debugging system for debugging a fabricated integrated circuit containing an electronic circuit design, said hardware debugging system comprising:
- an instrumentor configured to receive a high level HDL description of the electronic circuit design, to determine aspects of the electronic circuit design to be examined or modified during debugging, to determine additional circuitry to be incorporated into the electronic circuit design to facilitate debugging, and to produce a modified high level HDL description of the electronic circuit design by incorporating an HDL description of the additional circuitry into the high level HDL description of the electronic circuit design;
- a design instrumentation database configured to store information about the additional circuitry including relationships between signals of the electronic circuit design and portions of the modified high level HDL description or the high level HDL description;
- and
- a HDL-based hardware debugger configured to debug the fabricated integrated circuit fabricated in accordance with the modified high level HDL description by interacting with the electronic circuit design using the additional circuitry and by operating to present debug information with respect to the modified high level HDL description or the high level HDL description.
A hardware debugging system for debugging an electronic system containing an electronic circuit design, the electronic circuit design being described by a high level HDL description, said hardware debugging system comprising:
- an instrumentor configured to receive the high level HDL description of the electronic circuit design or a description derived therefrom, to determine aspects of the electronic circuit design to be examined or modified during debugging, to determine additional circuitry to be incorporated into the electronic circuit design to facilitate debugging, and to incorporate the additional circuitry into the electronic circuit design;
- a design instrumentation database configured to store information about the additional circuitry including relationships between signals of the electronic circuit design and portions of the high level HDL description;
- and
- a HDL-based hardware debugger configured to debug the electronic system by interacting with the electronic circuit design using the additional circuitry and by operating to present debug information with respect to the high level HDL description.
A hardware debugging system for debugging an electronic system containing an electronic circuit design, the electronic circuit design being described by a high level HDL description, said hardware debugging system comprising:
- instrumentation means for receiving the high level HDL description of the electronic circuit design or a description derived therefrom, determining additional circuitry to be incorporated into the electronic circuit design to facilitate debugging, and incorporating the additional circuitry into the electronic circuit design;
- a design instrumentation database configured to store information about the additional circuitry including relationships between signals of the electronic circuit design and portions of the high level HDL description;
- and
- a HDL-based hardware debugger configured to debug the electronic system by interacting with the electronic circuit design using the additional circuitry and by operating to present debug information with respect to the high level HDL description.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.