Patent ID: 7568172
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for designing a circuit, the method comprising: selecting at least one graphical program in response to user input, wherein the at least one graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; selecting at least one pre-defined hardware configuration program (HCP) from a plurality of pre-defined HCPs in response to user input, wherein the selected at least one pre-defined HCP specifies a fixed functionality, including interface functionality for communicating with the at least one graphical program when implemented on the circuit; generating at least a portion of a netlist based on the at least one graphical program and the at least one selected pre-defined HCP; wherein the netlist is usable to configure a circuit, wherein a first portion of the circuit implements the functionality of the graphical program and a second portion of the circuit implements the fixed functionality, and wherein the circuit comprises a programmable hardware element that includes a programmable gate array; configuring the programmable hardware element based on the netlist to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein a first portion of the configured programmable hardware element implements the functionality of the at least one graphical program and a second portion of the configured programmable hardware element implements the fixed functionality; wherein during operation of the configured programmable hardware element the first portion of the configured programmable hardware element performs the functionality of the graphical program, and the second portion of the configured programmable hardware element performs the fixed functionality.