Hardware emulation board based on FPGAs and programmable interconnections

Describes a hardware emulation board based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable interconnect switches to overcome the limitations of traditional verifications for ASIC designs. Both hardwired buses and programmable buses, via switches, contribute to the interconnection between the FPGAs. With a microprocessor and two EPROMs, the board is designed so that the microprocessor itself can be a part of emulation, in addition to downloading configuration data and testing. Finally presented is the software tool tailored to this board. It automatically partitions the design among multiple FPGAs, programs the switches and facilitates the design and verification process.<>