Graphical user interface with logic unifying functions

• US 7,150,002 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Douglas, Roe, Steven, Nemecek, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T.
• Application Number:
  US10/109,979
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-113, 717124-125, 715/700
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

Programming a plurality of states having respective threads is achieved by an event engine and a computer controlled GUI causing the event engine to monitor a signal and execute an action based thereon. The GUI programs an event and several states and causes the event engine to traverse between the states upon reaching the event. The GUI further programs a logic chain which unifies the threads. A method unifies several threads by selecting and executing a logic operation. The method further configures several states and causes traversing between them. The GUI may be deployed co-functionally with debuggers, logic analyzers, scopes, utilities, and software development tools. The results of the GUI are automatically transformed into program code which programs the event engine to operate during debug of a device under test by monitoring for events and taking action based thereon.

Claims

1. A computer controlled programming tool having a graphical user interface and comprising:

a first window for displaying a plurality of selectable state informations, each state information comprising first thread information, second thread information and state logic information;

a second window for defining a first thread associated with a selected state information;

a third window for defining a second thread associated with said selected state information;

a fourth window for defining an action associated with said selected state information and for defining a union of said first and said second thread of said selected state information; and

a code generator for generating program code, based on said state informations, for programming a programmable circuit.

2. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said union is a Boolean expression.

3. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 2 wherein said fourth window comprises a scrollable listing of a plurality of Boolean expressions from which said union is selected.

4. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said fourth window comprises a field for selecting a next state information to define said action of said selected state information.

5. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said first thread is an 8-bit thread and said second thread is a 16-bit thread.

6. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said programmable circuit is an event engine of a field programmable gate array.

7. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said first window is scrollable to display said plurality of selectable state informations and wherein said selected state information is visually differentiated.

8. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said first thread information of each state information is updated to reflect any selections made in said second window.

9. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 8 wherein said second thread information of each state information is updated to reflect any selections made in said third window.

10. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 9 wherein said state logic information of each state information is updated to reflect any selections made in said fourth window.

11. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 1 wherein said second window comprises a signal name selection and a value range selection.

12. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 11 wherein said third window comprises a signal name selection and a value range selection.

13. A method for unifying a plurality of threads of a debug thread engine comprising:

a) selecting a thread from a plurality of threads of a graphical user interface;

b) selecting another thread from said plurality of threads;

c) selecting a logic operation by which to unify said thread and said another thread;

d) automatically generating program code based on said a), b), and c);

e) programming said debug event engine with said program code; and

f) performing debug operations using said debug event engine and a device under test.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

g) selecting a setting for said thread and for said another thread wherein said g) is performed before said d).

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein c) comprises selecting said logical operation from a scrollable listing of a plurality of predetermined operations of said graphical user interface.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said plurality of threads comprises 8-bit threads and 16-bit threads.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said logic operation is selected from the group consisting essentially of AND, OR, NOR, NOT, and NAND.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said thread and said another thread are included within a first state.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 further comprising repeating said a)–

c) for a second state.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein f) comprises traversing between said first state and said second state.

21. A system comprising a programmable event engine and a tool for programming said event engine wherein said tool executes a method for unifying a plurality of threads, said method comprising:

a) selecting a thread from a plurality of threads of a graphical user interface;

b) selecting another thread from said plurality of threads;

c) selecting a logic operation by which to unify said thread and said another thread;

d) automatically generating program code based on said a), b), and c);

e) programming said debug event engine with said program code; and

f) performing debug operations using said debug event engine and a device under test.

22. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein said method further comprises:

g) selecting a setting for said thread and for said another thread wherein said g) is performed before said d).

23. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein c) comprises selecting said logical operation from a scrollable listing of a plurality of predetermined operations of said graphical user interface.

24. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein said plurality of threads comprises 8-bit threads and 16-bit threads.

25. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein said logic operation is selected from the group consisting essentially of AND, OR, NOR, NOT, and NAND.

26. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein said thread and said another thread are included within a first state.

27. The system as recited in claim 26 further comprising repeating said a)–

c) for a second state.

28. The system as recited in claim 27 wherein f) comprises traversing between said first state and said second state.

29. A computer controlled programming tool comprising:

a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of windows for displaying a plurality of selectable state informations and for programming threads and state logic associated with a selected one of said selectable state informations wherein each state information comprises a first thread for defining a first detectable event, a second thread for defining a second detectable event and a state logic for providing an associated action to be taken and wherein said state logic comprises a union for combining said first and second threads; and

a code generator for automatically generating program code, based on said state informations, for programming an event engine of said programmable circuit.

30. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 29 wherein said event engine is used to detect and signal the occurrence of internal events of a device under test for debugging purposes.

31. A computer controlled programming tool as described in claim 30 wherein said device under test is coupled to said programmable circuit.