Methods, systems, and computer program products for multiplexing a target communication port to provide an additional independent communication channel sharing at least some portion of hardware associated with the target port. Typically, a device, such as a disk drive, is also connected to the target port. An out-of-band signal indicates when the shared hardware is being used to provide the additional independent communication channel to avoid interfering with the target port device. A communication board with one or more communication ports may be coupled to the additional independent communication channel for communicating data from the target system to other devices or systems, such as a host system, through the communication board. In communicating with the target system, the communication board may emulate a particular interface that is supported by the target port. One type of host system may be a development system for designing, testing and debugging the target system.