1. A method of profiling propagation of data packets in a testing system for debugging a circuit device under test comprising: establishing the circuit device under test in the testing system, the circuit device having a plurality of components coupled to one another at a plurality of respective nodes, the circuit device under test defining at least one data path for transmission of a data packet flow through said plurality of components coupled to an origin node, a destination node, and at least one intermediate node therebetween, the data packet flow traversing through each of said plurality of components in the at least one data path; defining a characteristic data pattern of a target data packet payload and a set of anticipated transformations of the characteristic data pattern indicative of propagation of the target data packet payload through said plurality of components of the at least one data path; acquiring a data pattern for a data packet payload at said destination node and the at least one intermediate node as the data packet payload is propagated through said plurality of components of the at least one data path; executing a processor to search the acquired data patterns for a data pattern substantially matching the characteristic data pattern; executing the processor to selectively capture a set of transformations of the substantially matching data pattern over said destination node and the at least one intermediate node of the least one data path, the selective capture being responsive to a comparison of the set of transformations of the substantially matching data pattern with respect to the set of anticipated transformations of the characteristic data pattern; and graphically displaying the captured data pattern from at least said destination node and the least one intermediate node.