Enhanced embedded logic analyzer
Granted: December 19, 2002
Application Number:
20020194543
Embedding a logic analyzer in a programmable logic device allows signals to be captured both before and after a trigger condition (breakpoint). A logic analyzer embedded within a PLD captures and stores logic signals. It unloads these signals for viewing on a computer. Using an electronic design automation (EDA) software tool running on a computer system, an engineer specifies signals of the PLD to be monitored, a breakpoint, total number of samples to be stored, number of samples to be…
Programmable logic device with high speed serial interface circuitry
Granted: December 19, 2002
Application Number:
20020190751
A programmable logic device (“PLD”) includes high speed serial interface (“HSSI”) circuitry that can support several high speed serial (“HSS”) standards. Examples of the standards that can be supported are XAUI, InfiniBand, 1G Ethernet, FibreChannel, and Serial RapidIO. The HSSI circuitry may be partly programmable to support these various standards. In some cases control may come from the associated PLD core circuitry. Also in some cases some of the…
Fast locking phase frequency detector
Granted: October 31, 2002
Application Number:
20020158671
A phase frequency detector (PFD) circuit (516) compares two clock signals and generates a number of outputs to indicate a phase difference between these two clock signals (513, 519). The phase frequency detector has more than three states. The PFD circuit may be used in phase locked loop (PLL) or delay locked loop (DLL) circuit in order to maintain or lock a phase relationship between the two clock signals. The PFD circuitry will allow for a fast lock acquisition time, even when there is…
Embedded memory blocks for programmable logic
Granted: October 24, 2002
Application Number:
20020153922
A high-performance programmable logic architecture has embedded memory (608). arranged at the peripheries or edges of the integrated circuit. This enhances the performance of the programmable logic integrated circuit by shortening the lengths of the programmable interconnect (748). In a specific embodiment, the memory blocks (703) are organized in rows along the top and bottom edges of the integrated circuit. The logic elements (805) can be directly programmable routed and connected to…
Programming mode selection with JTAG circuits
Granted: October 24, 2002
Application Number:
20020157078
A technique to provide higher system performance by increasing amount of data that may be transferred in parallel is to increase the number of external pins available for the input and output of user data (user I/O). Specifically, a technique is to reduce the number of dedicated pins used for user I/O, leaving more external pins available for user I/O. The dedicated pins used to implement a function such as the JTAG boundary scan architecture may be also be used to provide other…
Memory circuitry for programmable logic integrated circuit devices
Granted: September 12, 2002
Application Number:
20020126562
A programmable logic device includes, in addition to the usual regions of programmable logic and the programmable interconnect, at least one region of memory which has multiple independently usable write and/or read ports (e.g., two write ports and two read ports). Every memory cell in the memory region is accessible from any of these ports. This enables the memory region to be used to provide either one relatively large memory or two somewhat smaller memories, each occupying a fraction…
Programmable logic device architectures with super-regions having logic regions and a memory region
Granted: July 4, 2002
Application Number:
20020084801
A programmable logic device has a plurality of super-regions of programmable circuitry disposed on the device in a two-dimensional array of such super-regions. Each super-region includes a plurality of regions of programmable logic and a region of programmable memory. Each logic region includes a plurality of subregions of programmable logic. Each super-region has associated interconnection resources for allowing communication between the logic and memory regions of that super-region…
Registered logic macrocell with product term allocation and adjacent product term stealing
Granted: June 13, 2002
Application Number:
20020070755
A macrocell with product term allocation and adjacent product term stealing is disclosed. Programmable configuration switches provide product term allocation by directing input product terms to an OR gate or to the secondary inputs to a register. Adjacent product term stealing is accomplished by providing the output of the OR gate of each macrocell as an input to the OR gate of an adjacent macrocell. By using the output of the OR gate of the first macrocell, the adjacent macrocell steals…
Interconnection and input/output resources for programable logic integrated circuit devices
Granted: May 16, 2002
Application Number:
20020057103
A programmable logic integrated circuit device has a plurality of regions of programmable logic disposed on the device in a plurality of intersecting rows and columns of such regions. Interconnection resources (e.g., interconnection conductors, signal buffers/drivers, programmable connectors, etc.) are provided on the device for making programmable interconnections to, from, and/or between the regions. At least some of these interconnection resources are provided in two forms that are…
Interconnection resources for programmable logic integrated circuit devices
Granted: April 11, 2002
Application Number:
20020041192
A programmable logic device has many regions of programmable logic, together with relatively general-purpose, programmable, interconnection resources that can be used to make interconnections between virtually any of the logic regions. In addition, various types of more local interconnection resources are associated with each logic region for facilitating the making of interconnections between adjacent or nearby logic regions without the need to use the general-purpose interconnection…
Programmable logic device with hierarchical interconnection resources
Granted: April 11, 2002
Application Number:
20020041191
A programmable logic device has a plurality of super-regions of programmable logic disposed on the device in a two-dimensional array of intersecting rows and columns of super-regions. Horizontal and vertical inter-super-region interconnection conductors are associated with each row and column, respectively. Each super-region includes a plurality of regions of programmable logic, and each region includes a plurality of subregions of programmable logic. Inter-region interconnection…
Programmable logic device logic modules with shift register capabilities
Granted: December 6, 2001
Application Number:
20010048320
A logic module for a programmable logic device includes shift register circuitry in addition to the conventional programmable memory cells and look-up table decoder or selection control circuitry. In one embodiment the selection control circuitry can access either the memory cells or the various stages of the shift register. The shift register stages, and preferably the master and slave latches of each shift register stage, are accessed in a Gray code order. All of the stages of the…
Programmable logic array integrated circuit architectures
Granted: September 20, 2001
Application Number:
20010022519
A programmable logic array integrated circuit device has a plurality of regions of programmable logic disposed on the device in a two-dimensional array of intersecting rows and columns of regions. The output signals of several regions share a group of drivers for applying region output signals to interconnection conductors that convey signals between regions. This conserves driver resources and increases signal routing flexibility. Various approaches can be used for configuring the…
High-speed programmable interconnect
Granted: September 13, 2001
Application Number:
20010020851
An improved interconnection between horizontal conductors and the input to logic elements. A signal regeneration circuit is provided in the path between the horizontal conductor and the logic element, thereby isolating and boosting the signal. This allows for faster switching operation. A path is provided allowing the selective routing of signals from the horizontal conductors to the vertical conductors, without passing through a logic element. Also, a path is provided to allow a…
Dual port programmable logic device variable depth and width memory array
Granted: August 23, 2001
Application Number:
20010015933
A dual-port programmable logic device memory array is provided. Selectable-size data words may be written to and read from the array concurrently. Data is written into the array using write column decoder and data selection logic. The size of the data words handled by the write column decoder and data selection logic is controlled by mode select signals. Data is read from the array using read column decoder and data selection logic. The size of the data words handled by the read column…
Programmable I/O cells with multiple drivers
Granted: July 26, 2001
Application Number:
20010009379
A programmable input/output cell (I/O cell) for use with integrated circuits, and in particular programmable logic devices, is presented comprising input receiver circuitry, output driver circuitry and programmable elements. The input receiver and output driver circuitry each include multiple receivers/drivers that provide an interface between the signaling level of the integrated circuit and at least two other signaling standards. The programmable elements may be programmed to select a…
Redundancy circuitry for programmable logic devices with interleaved input circuits
Granted: July 5, 2001
Application Number:
20010006347
Redundant circuitry is provided for a programmable logic device that uses an interleaved input multiplexer circuit arrangement. The programmable logic device has at least one row of logic regions and has multiple columns, each of which contains one of the interleaved input multiplexers and one of the logic regions. A set of conductors associated with the row of logic regions is used to convey signals between the logic regions. Each interleaved logic region distributes logic signals from…
Programmable logic device architectures
Granted: July 5, 2001
Application Number:
20010006348
A programmable logic device has a plurality of super-regions of programmable circuitry disposed on the device in a two-dimensional array of such super-regions. Each super-region includes a plurality of regions of programmable logic and a region of programmable memory. Each logic region includes a plurality of subregions of programmable logic. Each super-region has associated interconnection resources for allowing communication between the logic and memory regions of that super-region…
Techniques for programming programmable logic array devices
Granted: June 14, 2001
Application Number:
20010003844
Programmable logic array devices are programmed from programming devices in networks that facilitate programming any number of such logic devices with programs of any size or complexity. The source of programming data and control may be a microprocessor or one or more serial EPROMs, one EPROM being equipped with a clock circuit. Several parallel data streams may be used to speed up the programming operation. A clock circuit with a programmably variable speed may be provided to facilitate…
Phase-locked loop or delay-locked loop circuitry for programmable logic devices
Granted: April 26, 2001
Application Number:
20010000426
A programmable logic device is provided with phase-locked loop (“PLL”) or delay-locked loop (“DLL” ) circuitry in which the feedback loop circuitry substantially parallels and duplicates a portion of the clock signal distribution network on the device that receives the main PLL/DLL output signal. In this way the distributed feedback loop circuit more readily provides a substantially exact match for the distributed delay experienced by the signal propagating…
