A method for implementing a distributed hardware system includes retrieving a hardware design described in a hardware description language, where the hardware design includes a plurality of components. The method further includes, for each component of the hardware design, sending the component to a hardware compiler and to one of a plurality of software engines, where the hardware compiler compiles the component to run in one of a plurality of hardware engines and the one software engine simulates the component while the hardware compiler compiles the component for the one hardware engine, and upon completion of the compilation of the component, sending the compiled component to one of the hardware engines to be executed by the one hardware engine and monitoring communication so that the one hardware engine can interact with other components in other hardware engines or software engines.