Patent ID: 7627462

Claim:
Apparatus for simulating data processing operations performed by a data processing apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a hardware simulator responsive to one or more stimulus signals to generate one or more response signals simulating a response of said data processing apparatus to said one or more stimulus signals if applied to said data processing apparatus; a plurality of signal interface controllers coupled to said hardware simulator, each signal interface controller serving to perform one or more simulation actions transferring at least one of one or more stimulus signals and one or more response signals between a corresponding portion of said hardware simulator and said signal interface controller as part of simulating said data processing operations; a test scenario manager coupled to said plurality of signal interface controllers and operable to transfer test scenario controlling messages to said plurality of signal interface controllers, at least one of said test scenario controlling messages including: (i) data defining a simulation action to be performed by a signal interface controller; and (ii) data defining when said signal interface controller should perform said simulated action; and a time generator coupled to said plurality of signal interface controllers and said test scenario manager for generating messages specifying time defining events corresponding to advancement of simulated time for said hardware simulator, wherein said test scenario manager includes a shared data memory into which a signal interface controller may store data using a test scenario controlling message sent from said signal interface controller to said test scenario manager via said shared data memory independently of advancement of simulated time by said messages specifying time defining events, said data being readable from said shared data memory by another signal interface controller.