Method and system for debugging an electronic system

• US 7,072,818 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synplicity, Inc. (Synopsys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beardslee, John Mark, Schubert, Nils Endric, Perry, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US09/724,585
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 703/17, 703/15, 703/13, 703/16, 703/14, 438/14, 250/207, 371/21.1, 324/765, 714/741, 716/4, 716/6, 717/124, 395/704, 395/384, 395/500
• US Class Current: 703/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31705 Debugging aspects, e.g. using test circuits for debugging, using dedicated debugging test circuits generation of test sequences therefor G01R31/31835, using scan test therefor G01R31/318544
• 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 debugging an electronic system having instrumentation circuitry included therein are disclosed. The techniques and systems facilitate analysis, diagnosis and debugging fabricated hardware designs at a Hardware Description Language (HDL) level. Although the hardware designs (which were designed in HDL) have been fabricated in integrated circuit products with limited input/output pins, the invention enables 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 a fabricated electronic system having instrumentation circuitry included therein, wherein the electronic system is described with an HDL description, said method comprising:

as part of the electronic system'"'"'s design process;

generating the instrumentation circuitry at least by activating certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuit;

determining configuration information of said instrumentation circuitry based on the certain activated design visibility, design patching or design control aspects;

after the electronic system has been fabricated with the instrumentation circuitry to form an integrated circuit product, configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the integrated circuit product;

translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information; and

relating the HDL-related debug information to the HDL description.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HDL description is a high-level HDL description.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the HDL-related debug information is described in a high-level HDL.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said translating is performed automatically.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method operates without any requirement for a test bench.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the debug data includes at least status information or sampling data.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said activating is performed using a graphical user interface.

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

displaying the high-level HDL description with the HDL-related debug information related thereto.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the design control aspects include trigger conditions, and wherein said activating operates to enable a user to set one or more trigger conditions from the trigger conditions available by way of the instrumentation circuitry.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic system comprises an integrated circuit.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic system comprises a programmable integrated circuit.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic system includes a hardware portion and a software portion, and

wherein said method further comprises:

interacting with a software debugger which debugs the software of the electronic system.

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

interacting with a functional simulator which simulates a portion of the electronic system.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic system is operated in its target environment and running at its target speed during said debugging.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the target environment includes real-time characteristics.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein while debugging the electronic system, the electronic system is operating in its target environment without interruption for the purpose of debugging.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said debugging operates to identify at least one fault of the electronic system.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one fault is selected from the group consisting of:

specification error, design error, tool error, device driver error, timing error, manufacturing fault, and environment error.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instrumentation circuitry comprises design instrumentation circuitry.

20. A method for debugging a fabricated integrated circuit product having instrumentation circuitry included therein, the integrated circuit product being designed with a high-level HDL description, said method comprising:

as part of the integrated circuit product'"'"'s design process;

generating the instrumentation circuitry at least by activating certain aspects of the instrumentation circuitry for examining and/or modifying the integrated circuit product;

determining configuration information of said instrumentation circuitry based on the certain activated aspects;

after the integrated circuit product has been fabricated;

configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the integrated circuit product;

translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information;

relating the HDL-related debug information to the high-level HDL description and thereafter retrieving circuit status information for the integrated circuit product via the instrumentation circuitry;

displaying state information concerning the integrated circuit product based on the retrieved circuit status information.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the HDL-related debug information is described in a high-level HDL.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said displaying comprises:

relating the state information to the high-level HDL description; and

displaying the high-level HDL description of the integrated circuit product with the state information related thereto.

23. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the state information includes signal values for signals, and

wherein said relating operates to relate the signal values to HDL identifiers within the high-level HDL description that correspond to the signals.

30. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 23, wherein said activating is performed using a graphical user interface.

24. An article of manufacture including program code which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform method for debugging a fabricated electronic system having instrumentation circuitry included therein, wherein the electronic system is described with an HDL description, said method comprising:

as part of the electronic system'"'"'s design process;

generating the instrumentation circuitry at least by activating certain design visibility, design patching or design control aspects of the instrumentation circuitry;

determining configuration information of said instrumentation circuitry based on the certain activated design visibility, design patching or design control aspects;

after the electronic system has been fabricated with the instrumentation circuitry to form an integrated circuit product, configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the integrated circuit product;

translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information; and

relating the HDL-related debug information to the HDL description.

25. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the HDL description is a high-level HDL description.

26. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 25, wherein the HDL-related debug information is described in a high-level HDL.

27. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein said translating is performed automatically.

28. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein said method operates without any requirement for a test bench.

29. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the debug data includes at least status information or sampling data.

31. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying the high-level HDL description with the HDL-related debug information related thereto.

32. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the design control aspects include trigger conditions, and wherein said activating operates to enable a user to set one or more trigger conditions from the trigger conditions available by the instrumentation circuitry.

33. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the electronic system comprises an integrated circuit.

34. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the electronic system comprises a programmable integrated circuit.

35. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the electronic system includes a hardware portion and a software portion, and

wherein said method further comprises:

interacting with a software debugger which debugs the software of the electronic system.

36. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein said method further comprises:

interacting with a functional simulator which simulates a portion of the electronic system.

37. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the electronic system is operated in its target environment and running at its target speed during said debugging.

38. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 37, wherein the target environment includes real-time characteristics.

39. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein while debugging the electronic system, the electronic system is operating in its target environment without interruption for the purpose of debugging.

40. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein said debugging operates to identify at least one fault of the electronic system.

41. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 40, wherein the at least one fault is selected from the group consisting of:

specification error, design error, tool error, device driver error, timing error, manufacturing fault, and environment error.

42. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 24, wherein the instrumentation circuitry comprises design instrumentation circuitry.

43. An article of manufacture including program code which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform a method for debugging a fabricated integrated circuit product having instrumentation circuitry included therein, the integrated circuit product being designed with a high-level HDL description, said method comprising:

as part of the integrated circuit product'"'"'s design process;

generating the instrumentation circuitry at least by activating certain aspects of the instrumentation circuitry for examining and/or modifying the integrated circuit product;

determining configuration information of said instrumentation circuitry based on the certain activated aspects;

after the integrated circuit product has been fabricated;

configuring the instrumentation circuitry in accordance with the configuration information;

receiving debug data from the configured instrumentation circuitry operating within the integrated circuit product;

translating the debug data into HDL-related debug information;

relating the HDL-related debug information to the high-level HDL description and thereafter retrieving circuit status information for the integrated circuit product via the instrumentation circuitry;

displaying state information concerning the integrated circuit product based on the retrieved circuit status information.

44. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 43, wherein the HDL-related debug information is described in a high-level HDL.

45. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 43, wherein said displaying comprises:

relating the state information to the high-level HDL description; and

displaying the high-level HDL description of the integrated circuit product with the state information related thereto.

46. A article of manufacture as recited in claim 43, wherein the state information includes signal values for signals, and

wherein said relating operates to relate the signal values to HDL identifiers within the high-level HDL description that correspond to the signals.