Patent ID: 7478350
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for converting a first program written in a hardware description language to a second program written in an alternative programming language, the first program defining models with interconnections therebetween, the interconnections being represented by variables, wherein the method includes a step of modifying the models such that they are interoperable with the second program in which the interconnections between models are represented by signals, by arranging for interconnections of the models in the first program to refer to values in such a way that a timing of the presentation of the values on each interconnection in the first program is consistent with a timing of a signal domain in the second program, wherein the step of modifying the models comprises: (a) marking early or late all interconnections in a variable domain; (b) modifying any interconnections marked late in step (a) to refer to their current value rather than a noted value; (c) making a note of any early values used by a function dependent on both early and late interconnections and modifying that function to instead refer to the noted values; (d) determining output interconnections from the variable domain to the signal domain which do not depend on noted values which are also depended on by parts of the variable domain other than outputs; (e) processing the output interconnections identified in step (d) by modifying them to refer to their current value rather than a noted value and; (f) selecting and implementing a chase-out mechanism for each of the remaining output interconnections from either of: