Hardware emulation proxy for hardware software co-emulation

摘要

The invention provides for the interaction of an emulator emulating an electronic design having a communication bus communicating with a software application over the emulated communication bus. The interaction is facilitated in such a manner as to provide an appropriate latency for the emulated communication bus. According to various implementations of the invention, a protocol proxy is provided. The protocol proxy is designed to be emulated along with an electronic design and configured to communicate to software executing on a computer connected to the emulator. The protocol proxy includes a protocol module that communicates to the electronic design being emulated in the emulator environment. Furthermore, the protocol proxy includes a software control module that communicates to the software outside the emulator through proxy communication channels. Further still, the protocol proxy includes a data storage component.

主权项

1. A system for emulating an electronic design comprising:
an emulator configured to emulate a design under test that includes a communication bus; a protocol proxy configured to be emulated by the emulator along with the design under test and to communicate with the design under test using the communication bus, the protocol proxy including a memory component; and a computer configured to communicate with the protocol proxy; wherein the protocol proxy is positioned between the computer and the design under test and is configured by the computer to include data values stored in the memory component of the protocol proxy prior to emulation of the design under test, the protocol proxy being configured to use the data values to respond to communications from the design under test without communicating with the computer, thereby reducing latency during execution of the emulator; wherein the computer communicates with the protocol proxy using a first protocol and the protocol proxy communicates with the design under test using a second protocol, different from the first protocol.