Method, system and program product for selectively removing instrumentation logic from a simulation model

Abstract

According to a method of simulation processing, a simulation model is received that includes a plurality of design entity instances modeling a digital system and one or more instrumentation entity instances, separate from the plurality of design entity instances, that generate instances of instrumentation events for testing purposes during simulation. In response to receiving an exclusion list identifying at least one instance of one or more instrumentation events to be removed from the simulation model, at least one instance of the one or more instrumentation events and associated logic elements are removed from the one or more instrumentation entity instances of the simulation model prior to simulation, such that a more compact simulation model is obtained.

1 . A method of processing in a data processing system, said method comprising:
 receiving a simulation model, said simulation model including a plurality of design entity instances modeling a digital system and one or more instrumentation entity instances, separate from said plurality of design entity instances, that generate instances of instrumentation events for testing purposes during simulation; and   in response to receiving an exclusion list identifying at least one instance of one or more instrumentation events to be removed from said simulation model, removing said at least one instance of said one or more instrumentation events and associated logic elements from said one or more instrumentation entity instances of said simulation model prior to simulation.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having instances of first and second instrumentation events, said instance of said first instrumentation event having a first cone of influence and said instance of said second instrumentation event having a second cone of influence; and   said removing comprises removing from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and retaining logic elements in said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event both include a same logic element; and   said removing comprises retaining said same logic element.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising marking for removal logic elements of a first instrumentation entity instance among said one or more instrumentation entity instances by tracing one or more signal paths backward from an instance of an instrumentation event identified in said exclusion list to a boundary between said first instrumentation entity instance and a target design entity instance among said plurality of design entity instances. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a first instrumentation event and a second instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a second instrumentation event, wherein said instance of said second instrumentation event depends upon said instance of said first instrumentation event; and   said removing comprises removing from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event only if said instance of said second instrumentation event is removed.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , and further comprising:
 in response to said instance of said first instrumentation event being identified within said exclusion file, determining a dependence of said instance of said second instrumentation event on said instance of said first instrumentation event.   
   
   
       7 . A program product, comprising:
 a computer-readable medium including program code that causes a data processing system to perform a process including:
 receiving a simulation model, said simulation model including a plurality of design entity instances modeling a digital system and one or more instrumentation entity instances, separate from said plurality of design entity instances, that generate instances of instrumentation events for testing purposes during simulation; and 
 in response to receiving an exclusion list identifying at least one instance of one or more instrumentation events to be removed from said simulation model, removing said at least one instance of said one or more instrumentation events and associated logic elements from said one or more instrumentation entity instances of said simulation model prior to simulation. 
   
   
   
       8 . The program product of  claim 7 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having instances of first and second instrumentation events, said instance of said first instrumentation event having a first cone of influence and said instance of said second instrumentation event having a second cone of influence; and   said removing comprises removing from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and retaining logic elements in said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event.   
   
   
       9 . The program product of  claim 8 , wherein:
 said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event both include a same logic element; and   said removing comprises retaining said same logic element.   
   
   
       10 . The program product of  claim 7 , said process further comprising marking for removal logic elements of a first instrumentation entity instance among said one or more instrumentation entity instances by tracing one or more signal paths backward from an instance of an instrumentation event identified in said exclusion list to a boundary between said first instrumentation entity instance and a target design entity instance among said plurality of design entity instances. 
   
   
       11 . The program product of  claim 7 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a first instrumentation event and a second instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a second instrumentation event, wherein said instance of said second instrumentation event depends upon said instance of said first instrumentation event; and   said removing comprises removing from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event only if said instance of said second instrumentation event is removed.   
   
   
       12 . The program product of  claim 11 , said process further comprising:
 in response to said instance of said first instrumentation event being identified within said exclusion file, determining a dependence of said instance of said second instrumentation event on said instance of said first instrumentation event.   
   
   
       13 . A data processing system, comprising:
 a processor; and   data storage coupled to said processor and including a simulation model preprocessor that compacts a simulation model, said simulation model including a plurality of design entity instances modeling a digital system and one or more instrumentation entity instances, separate from said plurality of design entity instances, that generate instances of instrumentation events for testing purposes during simulation;   wherein said simulation model preprocessor, responsive to receiving an exclusion list identifying at least one instance of one or more instrumentation events to be removed from said simulation model, removes said at least one instance of said one or more instrumentation events and associated logic elements from said one or more instrumentation entity instances of said simulation model prior to simulation.   
   
   
       14 . The data processing system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having instances of first and second instrumentation events, said instance of said first instrumentation event having a first cone of influence and said instance of said second instrumentation event having a second cone of influence; and   said simulation model preprocessor removes from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and retains logic elements in said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event.   
   
   
       15 . The data processing system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event and said second cone of influence of said instance of said second instrumentation event both include a same logic element; and   said simulation model preprocessor retains said same logic element in said simulation model.   
   
   
       16 . The data processing system of  claim 13 , wherein said simulation model preprocessor marks for removal logic elements of a first instrumentation entity instance among said one or more instrumentation entity instances by tracing one or more signal paths backward from an instance of an instrumentation event identified in said exclusion list to a boundary between said first instrumentation entity instance and a target design entity instance among said plurality of design entity instances. 
   
   
       17 . The data processing system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 said one or more instrumentation entity instances include a first instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a first instrumentation event and a second instrumentation entity instance having an instance of a second instrumentation event, wherein said instance of said second instrumentation event depends upon said instance of said first instrumentation event; and   said simulation model preprocessor removes from said first instrumentation entity instance at least one logic element in said first cone of influence of said instance of said first instrumentation event only if said instance of said second instrumentation event is removed.   
   
   
       18 . The data processing system of  claim 7 , wherein said simulation model preprocessor, responsive to said instance of said first instrumentation event being identified within said exclusion file, determines a dependence of said instance of said second instrumentation event on said instance of said first instrumentation event.