Patent ID: 7426461

Claim:
A method of specifying, in one or more files, configurations for a configurable system that is one of the set of a simulated system and a hardware system, said method comprising: in at least one hardware definition language (HDL) file among the one or more files, specifying at least one design entity containing a functional portion of the configurable system, said at least one design entity logically containing a plurality of configuration latches each having a plurality of different possible configuration values that each corresponds to a different configuration of said functional portion of said configurable system; and with one or more statements in said one or more files: defining a multi-level Dial tree including a selective control Dial (SCDial) entity at an upper level, said SCDial entity having a Dial input, first and second Dial outputs respectively coupled to inputs of first and second lower level Dials, and a mapping between each of a plurality of possible input values of said Dial input and a respective one of a plurality of sets of output values for said first and second Dial outputs, wherein a first set of output values indicated by said mapping specifies output values for at least said first and second Dial outputs, wherein a second set of output values indicated by said mapping specifies output values for said first Dial output but not said second Dial output, and wherein each specified output value reflects a setting of at least one lower level Dial and settings of said first and second lower level Dials reflect which of said plurality of different possible configuration values is loaded in said plurality of configuration latches; and associating the SCDial entity with said at least one design entity; and generating, from said one or more files, a configuration database including said mapping and storing said configuration database in data storage.