Hierarchical, Network-Based emulation System

摘要

An apparatus for emulating the behavior of an electronic device under test (DUT) includes a computer and one or more resource boards containing emulation resources suitable for emulating portions of the DUT. Each resource board includes transaction device for communicating with one another and with the computer network via data packets transmitted over a packet routing network. The packet routing network and the transaction device on each resource board provide "virtual signal paths" between input and output terminals of resources mounted on separate resource boards. To do so, a transaction device on one resource board sends packets containing data indicating output signal states of local emulation resources to a transaction device on another resource board when then drives signals supplied to input terminals of its local emulation resources to the states indicated by the data conveyed in the packet. When the workstation is to emulate a portion of the DUT, the packet routing network also provides virtual signal paths between the workstation and the resource boards. The computer also transmits programming data to the emulation resources via the packet routing network.