Method and apparatus for dynamically testing electrical interconnect

US6694464B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Quickturn Design Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Barton L. Quayle · San Jose, US
• Stephen P. Sample · Saratoga, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 23, 2000
• Grant date: Feb 17, 2004
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F30/331
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A hardware emulation system is disclosed which reduces hardware cost by time-multiplexing multiple design signals onto physical logic chip pins and printed circuit board. The reconfigurable logic system of the present invention comprises a plurality of reprogrammable logic devices, and a plurality of reprogrammable interconnect devices. The logic devices and interconnect devices are interconnected together such that multiple design signals share common input/output pins and circuit board traces. A logic analyzer for a hardware emulation system is also disclosed. The logic circuits necessary for executing logic analyzer functions is programmed into the programmable resources in the logic chips of the emulation system. A method for dynamically testing the interconnect between integrated circuits is also disclosed.