Method, system and program product providing a configuration specification language supporting arbitrary mapping functions for configuration constructs

A data processing system, comprising:

• processing resources;
• and
• data storage coupled to said processing resources and including an electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) tool executable by said processing resources, said ECAD tool including:
• means for specifying, in an HDL statement within one or more HDL files representing a digital design, a configuration latch within a design entity forming at least a portion of the digital design;
• means for specifying, in the one or more HDL files, a Dial defining a relationship between each of a plurality of Dial input values of the Dial and a respective one of a plurality of different Dial output values of the Dial;
• means for including, within the one or more HDL files, a statement instantiating instance of said Dial in association with said configuration latch such that a one-to-one correspondence exists between a configuration value contained within said configuration latch and Dial input value of said instance of said Dial;
• and
• means for including, within the one or more HDL files, a statement associating the Dial with a mapping function that applies a selected transformation to Dial input values read from or written to said instance of said Dial wherein the selected transformation is selected from a set of transformations consisting of a mathematical transformation, logical transformation, a shift and generation of pseudo-random value.

A program product for associating a mapping function with a configuration construct of a digital design defined by one or more hardware description language (RDL) files, said program product comprising a computer usable medium including:

• means for specifying, in an HDL statement within one or more HDL flies representing a digital design, a configuration latch within a design entity forming at least a portion of the digital design;
• means for specifying, in the one or more HDL files, a Dial defining a relationship between each of a plurality of Dial input values of the Dial and a respective one of a plurality of different Dial output values of the Dial;
• means for including, within the one or more HDL files, a statement instantiating instance of said Dial in association with said configuration latch such that a one-to-one correspondence exists between a configuration value contained within said configuration latch and a Dial input value of said instance of said Dial;
• and
• means for including, within the one or more HDL files, a statement associating the Dial with said mapping function that applies a selected transformation to Dial input values read from or written to said instance of said Dial wherein the selected transformation is selected from a set of transformations consisting of a mathematical transformation, logical transformation, a shift and generation of pseudo-random value.