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US 6,823,497 B2Granted
Method and user interface for debugging an electronic system
AssigneeSynplicity, Inc.
InventorsNils Endric Schubert, John Mark Beardslee, Gernot Heinrich Koch, Olaf Poeppe
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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 method for facilitating debugging of a fabricated integrated circuit, said method comprising:
- displaying, on a display device associated with a user, portions of a high level hardware description language (HDL) description of electronic circuitry to be included within the fabricated integrated circuit;
- determining aspects of the electronic circuitry to be examined or modified during debugging of the fabricated integrated circuit, the aspects of the electronic circuitry being determined through selections made with respect to the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry;
- displaying, on the display device, a visual indication of the selections that have been made with respect to the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry;
- creating a design for design instrumentation circuitry based on the aspects of the electronic circuitry determined to be examined or modified;
- and
- incorporating the design for the design instrumentation circuitry into the high level HDL description or a circuit representation derived from the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry so as to facilitate debugging of the fabricated integrated circuit.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- displaying a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
- (i) a hardware description language (HDL) code pane that displays at least a portion of HDL code that describes an electronic system design;
- (ii) a design navigation pane that displays a navigable, hierarchical description of the electronic system design;
- determining aspects of the electronic system to be examined or modified during debugging of the electronic system after fabrication of the electronic system, the aspects of the electronic system being determined through selections made with respect to the HDL code;
- displaying, on a display device, a visual indication of the selections that have been made with respect to the HDL code;
- creating a design for design instrumentation circuitry based on the aspects of the electronic system determined to be examined or modified;
- incorporating the design of the design instrumentation circuitry into the HDL code or a circuit description derived from the HDL code;
- and,
- displaying debug information with a section of the HDL code, said debugging information a consequence of operating the electronic system in its target environment at its target speed.
6 more elements
A computer readable medium that includes at least computer program code for facilitating debugging of a fabricated integrated circuit, said computer readable medium comprising:
- computer program code for displaying portions of a high level hardware description language (HDL) description of electronic circuitry to be included within the fabricated integrated circuit;
- computer program code for determining aspects of the electronic circuitry to be examined or modified_during debugging of the fabricated integrated circuit, the aspects of the electronic circuitry being determined through selections made with respect to the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry;
- computer program code for displaying a visual indication of the selections that have been made with respect to the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry;
- computer program code for creating a design for design instrumentation circuitry based on the aspects of the electronic circuitry determined to be examined or modified;
- and
- computer program code for incorporating the design for the design instrumentation circuitry into the high level HDL description or a circuit representation derived from the high level HDL description of the electronic circuitry to facilitate debugging of the fabricated integrated circuit.
3 more elements
A computer readable medium that includes at least computer program code for facilitating debugging of a fabricated integrated circuit, said computer readable medium comprising:
- computer program code for displaying a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
- (i) a hardware description language (HDL) code pane that displays at least a portion of HDL code that describes an electronic system design;
- (ii) a design navigation pane that displays a navigable, hierarchical description of the electronic system design;
- computer program code for determining aspects of the electronic system to be examined or modified during debugging of the electronic system after fabrication of the electronic system, the aspects of the electronic system being determined through selections made with respect to the HDL code that describes the electronic system;
- computer program code for displaying, on a display device, a visual indication of the selections that have been made with respect to the HDL code that describes the electronic system;
- computer program code for creating a design for design instrumentation circuitry based on the aspects of the electronic system determined to be examined or modified;
- computer program code for incorporating the design for the design instrumentation circuitry into the HDL code or a circuity description derived from the HDL code that describes the electronic system;
- and,
- computer program code for displaying debug information with a section of the HDL code that describes the electronic system, said debugging information a consequence of operating the electronic system in its target environment at its target speed.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.