System and method for exposing hidden events on system buses

摘要

A method and system for tracking intra-chip events within a data processing system. In accordance with the method of the present invention, an event that corresponds to a state associated with one or more internal chip signals is detected by embedded detection logic. In response to an asserted diagnostic enable flag, the event is recorded within a designated diagnostic transaction queue within an interface device that drives an off-chip system interconnect. The event is encoded within a diagnostic packet that is issued onto the off-chip system interconnect from the interface device.