Concurrent in-system programming of programmable devices

A method of configuring a plurality of similar programmable devices interconnected in a JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) boundary scan chain in a target system, the method comprising:

• extracting at least one set of low level data from at least one high level configuration file, each high level configuration file and set of low level data being associated with at least one of the plurality of similar interconnected programmable devices included in the target system;
• storing the at least one set of low level data in the target system;
• encoding JTAG chain information describing interconnections between the interconnected devices of the plurality in a data packet assembly software module included in the target system;
• assembling a data packet based on the encoded JTAG chain information and a portion of each of the at least one of set of low level data, and
• shifting each of the assembled data packets through the JTAG boundary scan chain, thereby loading the portions of low level data into associated ones of the interconnected programmable devices concurrently.

A method of configuring a plurality of similar programmable devices interconnected in a JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) boundary scan chain in a target system, the method comprising:

• extracting a first set of raw data from a first Serial Vector Format (SVF) file associated with a first programmable device;
• extracting a plurality of sets of raw data from a plurality of Serial Vector Format (SVF) files associated with a plurality of programmable devices;
• storing the first set of raw data in read only memory included in the target system;
• storing the plurality of sets of raw data in read only memory included in the electronic device;
• storing JTAG chain information describing the interconnections of the similar interconnected programmable devices;
• reading the stored JTAG chain information;
• reading a portion of the first set of raw data;
• reading a portion of the each of the plurality of sets of raw data;
• assembling a data packet based on the read JTAG chain information, and the portion of the first set of raw data and the portions of each of the plurality of sets of raw data;
• and
• shifting the assembled data packet through the JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) boundary scan chain, thereby loading the portion of the first set of raw data into at least one programmable device and loading the portions of each of the plurality of sets of raw data into respective interconnected programmable devices concurrently.

A system useful for configuring a plurality of similar interconnected programmable devices in a target system, the system comprising:

• means for extracting at least one set of low level data from at least one high level configuration file, each high level configuration file and set of low level data being associated with at least one of the plurality of similar interconnected programmable devices included in a target system;
• means for storing the at least one set of low level data in the target system;
• means for encoding interconnection information regarding the interconnected programmable devices in a data packet assembly software module included in the target system;
• means for assembling a data packet based on the encoded interconnection information and a portion of each of the at least one of set of low level data;
• and,
• means for shifting each of the assembled data packets through the interconnected devices, thereby loading the portions of low level data into associated programmable devices concurrently.