Patent ID: 7464017
Filing Date: 2008-12-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for emulating a hardware design in a system of a type that is configured to communicate emulation data over a connection, and that includes an emulator and a runtime assist unit having a general purpose register directly accessible by a processor of the runtime assist unit, the method comprising: determining a time associated with at least one of: storing emulation data, loading emulation data and sending emulation data, including sending emulation data over the connection; time division multiplexing the emulation data, wherein the determined time is used to time division multiplex the emulation data; disabling an external interrupt of the runtime assist unit; in response to disabling the external interrupt of the runtime assist unit, providing a virtual I/O between the runtime assist unit and the emulator such that the time division multiplexed emulation data may be received by the runtime assist unit at any time; in response to providing the virtual I/O between the runtime assist unit and the emulator, communicating over the connection the time division multiplexed emulation data between the emulator and the general purpose register of the runtime assist unit, the time division multiplexed emulation data received by the runtime assist unit being received directly by the general purpose register of the runtime assist unit; and emulating the hardware design using the communicated data.