A system and method is disclosed for converting an existing circuit description from a lower level description, such as RTL, to a higher-level description, such as TLM, while raising the abstraction level. By changing the abstraction level, the conversion is not simply a code conversion from one language to another, but a process of learning the circuit using neural networks and representing the circuit using a system of equations that approximate the circuit behavior, particularly with respect to timing aspects. A higher level of abstraction eliminates much of the particular implementation details, and allows easier and faster design exploration, analysis, and test, before implementation. In one aspect, a model description of the circuit, protocol information relating to the circuit, and simulation data associated with the lower level description of the circuit are used to generate an abstract model of the circuit that approximates the circuit behavior.