US Patent 7222315 Hardware-based HDL code coverage and design analysis

Techniques and systems for analysis, diagnosis and debugging fabricated hardware designs at a Hardware Description Language (HDL) level are described. Although the hardware designs (which were designed in HDL) have been fabricated in integrated circuit products with limited input/output pins, the techniques and systems enable the hardware designs within the integrated circuit products to be analyzed, diagnosed, and debugged at the HDL level at speed. The ability to debug hardware designs at the HDL level facilitates correction or adjustment of the HDL description of the hardware designs. Moreover, various embodiments related to HDL code coverage are described.