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Abstract

The coverification system includes a reconfigurable computing system (hereinafter 'RCC computing system') and a reconfigurable computing hardware array (hereinafter 'RCC hardware array'). In some embodiments, the target system and the external I/O devices are not necessary since they can be modeled in software. In other embodiments, the target system and the external I/O devices are actually coupled to the coverification system to obtain speed and use actual data, rather than simulated test bench data. The RCC computing system contains a CPU and memory for processing data for modeling the entire user design in software. The RCC computing system also contains clock logic (for clock edge detection and software clock generation), test bench processes for testing the user design, and device models for any I/O device that the user decides to model in software instead of using an actual physical I/O device. The user may decide to use actual I/O devices as well as modeled I/O devices in one debug session. The software clock is used as the external clock source for the target system and the external I/O devices to synchronize all data that is delivered between the coverification system and the external interface. The coverification system contains a control logic that provides traffic control between: (1) the RCC computing system and the RCC hardware array, and (2) the external interface (which are coupled to the target system and the external I/O devices) and the RCC hardware array. Because the RCC computing system has the model of the entire design in software, including that portion of the user design modeled in the RCC hardware array, the RCC computing system must also have access to all data that passes between the external interface and the RCC hardware array. The control logic ensures that the RCC computing system has access to these data. Pointers are used to latch data from the RCC computing system and the external interface to the internal nodes of the hardware model in the RCC hardware array. Pointers are also used to deliver data from the internal nodes of the hardware model to the RCC computing system and the external interface. Even if the data from the internal nodes of the hardware model is intended for the external interface, the RCC computing system must also be able to access this data as well.

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