A digital system includes one or more design entities containing a functional portion of the digital system. Within a configuration database, one or more configuration entities are instantiated. The configuration entities including an Error checking Dial (EDial) having a plurality of input latches within the digital design and a plurality of output latches within the digital design. The EDial has an associated function defining a relationship between values of the input latches and values of the output latches. An instance of the EDial in the configuration database is accessed to access the values of the output latches in the digital design.