Method and apparatus for tracing any node of an emulation
First Claim
1. In an emulation system, a method for tracing hidden nodes of a circuit design, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) maintaining a correspondence between a plurality of physically observable nodes of the circuit design and the hidden nodes, including how values of the hidden nodes are to be determined based on the plurality of physically observable nodes;
(b) accessing values of the plurality of physically observable nodes; and
(c) determining the values of the hidden nodes based at least in part on both the values of one or more of the plurality of physically observable nodes and the correspondence between the plurality of physically observable nodes and the hidden nodes.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for tracing any node in an emulator, including hidden nodes of a circuit design, includes maintaining a correspondence between physically observable nodes and hidden nodes of the circuit design being emulated. The correspondence identifies how values of the hidden nodes are to be determined based on corresponding ones of the physically observable nodes. The value of a hidden node is determined by obtaining the values of the corresponding physically observable nodes and identifying the value of the hidden node based on the correspondence between the corresponding physically observable nodes and the hidden node.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In an emulation system, a method for tracing hidden nodes of a circuit design, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) maintaining a correspondence between a plurality of physically observable nodes of the circuit design and the hidden nodes, including how values of the hidden nodes are to be determined based on the plurality of physically observable nodes; (b) accessing values of the plurality of physically observable nodes; and (c) determining the values of the hidden nodes based at least in part on both the values of one or more of the plurality of physically observable nodes and the correspondence between the plurality of physically observable nodes and the hidden nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for tracing any node of a circuit design in an emulator, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a physically observable net list identifying a first plurality of nodes of the circuit design which can be physically observed in the emulator; (b) creating a hidden net list identifying a second plurality of nodes of the circuit design, wherein each node of the second plurality of nodes is hidden in a logic element of the emulator; (c) determining a first set of input nodes from the first plurality of nodes; and (d) using the first set of input nodes to identify a value of a signal at a first hidden node, wherein the first hidden node is one of the second plurality of nodes. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A program storage device readable by an emulation system, the device embodying a program of instructions executable by the emulation system to perform method steps for tracing a node of a circuit design, wherein the node is hidden in a logic element of the emulation system, said method steps comprising:
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(a) identifying a set of physically observable input signals corresponding to the node; (b) indexing into a truth table vector using values of the set of physically observable input signals; and (c) determining the value of the hidden node by accessing the value of the truth table vector indicated by the indexing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A program storage device readable by a computer system, the device embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer system to perform method steps for tracing hidden nodes of a circuit design, said method steps comprising:
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(a) maintaining a correspondence between a plurality of physically observable nodes of the circuit design and the hidden nodes, including how values of the hidden nodes are to be determined based on the plurality of physically observable nodes; (b) accessing values of the plurality of physically observable nodes from an emulator coupled to the computer system upon receiving a request for the value of a first hidden node; and (c) determining the value of the first hidden node based at least in part on both the values of one or more of the plurality of physically observable nodes and the correspondence between the plurality of physically observable nodes and the first hidden node. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An emulation system which traces a node of a circuit design, the emulation system comprising:
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a logic element in which the node is hidden; means for identifying a set of physically observable input signals corresponding to the node; means for indexing into a truth table vector using values of the set of physically observable input signals; and means for determining the value of the hidden node by accessing the value of the truth table vector indicated by the indexing. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification