A method for accessing a signal value of an FPGA at runtime, including the steps of loading an FPGA hardware configuration into the FPGA, executing the FPGA hardware configuration in the FPGA, requesting a signal value of the FPGA, sending status data from a functional level of the FPGA to a configuration memory in its configuration level, reading the status data from the configuration memory as readback data, and determining the signal value of the readback data. A method is also provided for making an FPGA build, based on an FPGA model, using a hardware description language, including the steps of creating an FPGA hardware configuration, identifying memory locations of a configuration memory for status data of at least one signal value based on the FPGA hardware configuration, and creating a list with signal values accessible at runtime and the memory locations corresponding thereto.