Method and system for debugging an electronic system using instrumentation circuitry and a logic analyzer

• US 7,065,481 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synplicity, Inc. (Synopsys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beardslee, John Mark, Schubert, Nils Endric, Koch, Gernot Heinrich, Poeppe, Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Paul L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US10/212,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 703 14- 17, 716/4, 716/6, 438/14, 395/704, 395/384, 717/124, 714/741
• US Class Current: 703/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318357 Simulation computer simulation of digital circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318364 as a result of hardware simulation, e.g. in an HDL environment computer-aided simulation of circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

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.

Claims

1. A method for debugging an electronic system having instrumentation circuitry included therein, the electronic system being coupled to at least one logic analyzer, wherein the electronic system is described with a HDL, said method comprising:

(a) activating certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry available for examining or modifying the electronic system via the instrumentation circuitry;

(b) determining configuration information based on the certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects that are activated;

(c) configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

(d) configuring the instrumentation circuitry to interoperate with the at least one logic analyzer;

(e) receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the electronic system product;

(f) translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information; and

(g) relating the HDL-related debug information to the HDL description.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the debug data being received from the configured instrumentation circuitry is from the at least one logic analyzer.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the design patching aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the design visibility or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said method further comprises:

(h) configuring the at least one logic analyzer based on the portion of the design visibility or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry to be performed by the logic analyzer.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said configuring (c) and said configuring (h) are automatically performed without user interaction.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the design visibility comprises sampling performed by the at least one logic analyzer and the design control comprises triggering performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

8. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the debug data being received from the configured instrumentation circuitry is from the at least one logic analyzer.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the design patching aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(h) displaying the HDL description with the HDL-related debug information related thereto.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said displaying (h) operates to display the HDL-related debug information as visual indicators on the HDL-related debug information being displayed.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the visual indicators are tags.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the design patching aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the debug data being received from the configured instrumentation circuitry is from the at least one logic analyzer.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the design visibility or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

16. A computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code for debugging an electronic system having instrumentation circuitry included therein, the electronic system being coupled to at least one logic analyzer, wherein the electronic system is described with a HDL, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for activating certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry available for examining or modifying the electronic system via the instrumentation circuitry;

computer program code for determining configuration information based on the certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects that are activated;

computer program code for configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

computer program code for configuring the instrumentation circuitry to interoperate with the at least one logic analyzer;

computer program code for receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the electronic system product;

computer program code for translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information; and

computer program code for relating the HDL-related debug information to the HDL description.

17. A computer storage readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the debug data being received from the configured instrumentation circuitry is from the at least one logic analyzer.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the design patching aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

19. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the design visibility or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

20. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for configuring the at least one logic analyzer based on the portion of design visibility or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry to be performed by the logic analyzer.

21. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer program code for configuring the instrumentation circuitry and said computer program code for configuring the at least one logic analyzer are automatically performed without user interaction.

22. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the design visibility comprises sampling performed by the at least one logic analyzer and the design control comprises triggering performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the debug data being received from the configured instrumentation circuitry is from the at least one logic analyzer.

24. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein at least a portion of the design patching aspects of the instrumentation circuitry are performed by the at least one logic analyzer.

25. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for displaying the HDL description with the HDL-related debug information related thereto.

26. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, wherein said computer program code for displaying operates to display the HDL-related debug information as visual indicators on the HDL-related debug information being displayed.

27. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the visual indicators are tags.