Configuration for in-circuit emulation of a program-controlled unit

• US 20030220782A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Mayer, Albrecht
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3652 in-circuit-emulation [ICE] arrangements

Abstract

A configuration contains a test unit that, during emulation, replaces a program-controlled unit that is used in normal operation of the system containing the program-controlled unit. The test unit has a first program-controlled unit and a second program-controlled unit. The first program-controlled unit contains only some of the components of the program-controlled unit replaced by the test unit, and the second program-controlled unit contains those components of the program-controlled unit replaced by the test unit that are not contained in the first program-controlled unit. In addition, the first program-controlled unit contains a control device which monitors whether one of the components of the first program-controlled unit requests access to a component not present in the first program-controlled unit and which, if this is so, prompts appropriate access to the corresponding component in the second program-controlled unit.

Claims

1. A configuration for in-circuit emulation of a program-controlled unit having components, the configuration comprising:

a test unit for replacing, during emulation, the program-controlled unit used in normal operation of a system containing the program-controlled unit, said test unit having a first program-controlled unit and a second program-controlled unit connected to said first program-controlled unit, said first program-controlled unit containing first components emulating only some of the components of the program-controlled unit replaced by said test unit, said second program-controlled unit containing second components emulating others of the components of the program-controlled unit replaced by said test unit not emulated by said first program-controlled unit, and during emulation said first program-controlled unit executing a program normally executed by the program-controlled unit during normal operation of the system, said first program-controlled unit containing a control device for monitoring whether one of said first components of said first program-controlled unit requests access to a component not contained in said first program-controlled unit and, if the access is requested, said first programmed control component prompting appropriate access to an appropriate one of said second components in said second program-controlled unit.

2. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said control device ascertains whether the access to the component not contained in said first program-controlled unit is requested by evaluating trace data generated in said first program-controlled unit.

3. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said control device ascertains whether the access to the component not contained in said first program-controlled unit is requested by evaluating data transmitted via a line or a bus used to transmit the data or signals requesting access operations which are to be ascertained.

4. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein:

said second program-controlled unit has a core; and

said control device of said first program-controlled unit prompts access operations to said second components in said second program-controlled unit by transmitting to said second program-controlled unit commands to be executed by said core of said second program-controlled unit.

5. The configuration according to claim 4, wherein said second program-controlled unit injects the commands supplied to said second program-controlled unit by said first program-controlled unit into said core and executes them there.

6. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said second program-controlled unit contains a control device for forwarding to said first program-controlled unit data output by said second components of said second program-controlled unit which are not present in said first program-controlled unit.

7. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said second program-controlled unit contains a control device for forwarding to said first program-controlled unit interrupt requests output by said second components of said second program-controlled unit not present in said first program-controlled unit.

8. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the system has connections for connecting the program-controlled unit replaced by said test unit to the system containing the program-controlled unit, the connections having a first portion connected to said first program-controlled unit and a second portion connected to said second program-controlled unit during emulation.

9. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said second program-controlled unit used is the program-controlled unit replaced by the test unit during emulation.

10. The configuration according to claim 1, further comprising a bus connecting said first program-controlled unit to said second program-controlled unit, said first program-controlled unit having connections connecting said first program-controlled unit to said bus and output data only during emulation.

11. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein said first program-controlled unit contains a memory for storing trace data, and said memory has a storage capacity of at least 64 kbits.