Configurable IC with interconnect circuits that also perform storage operations

• US 20070241782A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Teig, Steven, Redgrave, Jason, Schmit, Herman, Chandra, Vikas
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 326/41
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1776 for memories

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable logic circuits for configurably performing computations. The configurable IC also includes several configurable routing circuits for configurable routing signals to and from the logic circuits. In some embodiments, at least a set of the routing circuits are routing/storage circuits. Each routing/storage circuit has an output and a storage section at the output for controllably storing a signal that the routing/storage circuit produces at the output.

Claims

1. A configurable IC comprising:

a) a plurality of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing computations; and

b) a plurality of configurable interconnect circuits for configurably passing signals to and from said logic circuits;

c) wherein at least a set of the routing circuits are interconnect/storage circuits, wherein each interconnect/storage circuit has an output and a storage section at the output for controllably storing a signal that the interconnect/storage circuit produces at the output.

2. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein each interconnect/storage circuit includes an interconnect section, wherein the storage section of each interconnect/storage circuit is established in the interconnect section of the interconnect/storage.

3. The configurable IC of claim 2, wherein the storage section of the interconnect/storage circuit is not in front of the routing interconnect section.

4. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein each routing interconnect/storage circuit includes an interconnect section that has an output stage, wherein the interconnect section uses the output stage even when the interconnect/storage circuit does not store a signal.

5. The configurable IC of claim 4, wherein the storage section of an interconnect/storage circuit is built in the output stage of the interconnect section.

6. The configurable IC of claim 4, wherein the storage section of a interconnect/storage circuit is cross-coupled to the output stage of the interconnect section.

7. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein an interconnect/storage circuit has an output stage, wherein the storage section is established by selectively establishing a feedback path in the output stage.

8. The configurable IC of claim 7, wherein the feedback path is established by cross coupling two signals in the output stage.

9. The configurable IC of claim 8, wherein the two signals are a complementary pair of signals.

10. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit is a multi-stage multiplexer that has an output stage.

26. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein at least one interconnect/storage circuit reconfigures at run time to act either as a storage circuit or as an interconnect circuit.

27. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein the storage section of an interconnect/storage circuit is not in signal path flow and does not cause signal path delays when the interconnect/storage circuit is not storing a signal in the storage section.

28. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein the output of the interconnect/storage circuit is fed back to a particular input of the interconnect/storage circuit.

29. The configurable IC of claim 28, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit comprises a set of inputs and a set of select lines to select one of its inputs for output, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit acts as storage when the select lines select the particular input that receives the fed back output, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit does not act as storage when the select lines do not select the particular input that receives the fed back output.

30. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein the interconnect circuits are routing circuits.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a configurable IC comprising;

a plurality of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing computations; and

a plurality of configurable interconnect circuits for configurably passing signals to and from said logic circuits;

wherein at least a set of the interconnect circuits are interconnect/storage circuits, wherein each interconnect/storage circuit has an output and a storage section at the output for controllably storing a signal that the interconnect/storage circuit produces at the output.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein each interconnect/storage circuit includes an interconnect section, wherein the storage section of each interconnect/storage circuit is established in the interconnect section of the interconnect/storage circuit.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the storage section of the interconnect/storage circuit is not in front of the interconnect section.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein each interconnect/storage circuit includes an interconnect section that has an output stage, wherein the interconnect section uses the output stage even when the interconnect/storage circuit does not store a signal.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the storage section of an interconnect/storage circuit is built in the output stage of the interconnect section.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the storage section of a interconnect/storage circuit is cross-coupled to the output stage of the interconnect section.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein an interconnect/storage circuit has an output stage, wherein the storage section is established by selectively establishing a feedback path in the output stage.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the feedback path is established by cross coupling two signals in the output stage.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the two signals are a complementary pair of signals.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the routing interconnect/storage circuit is a multi-stage multiplexer that has an output stage.

21. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein at least one interconnect/storage circuit reconfigures at run time to act either as a storage circuit or as an interconnect circuit.

22. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the storage section of an interconnect/storage circuit is not in signal path flow and does not cause signal path delays when the interconnect/storage circuit is not storing a signal in the storage section.

23. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the output of the interconnect/storage circuit is fed back to a particular input of the interconnect/storage circuit.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit comprises a set of inputs and a set of select lines to select one of its inputs for output, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit acts as storage when the select lines select the particular input that receives the fed back output, wherein the interconnect/storage circuit does not act as storage when the select lines do not select the particular input that receives the fed back output.

25. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the interconnect circuits are routing circuits.

31. A configurable IC comprising:

a) a plurality of first configurable circuits for configurably performing computations; and

b) a plurality of second configurable circuits for configurably providing signals to and from the first configurable circuits;

wherein at least a subset of the second circuits configurably serve either as a storage circuit or as a non-storage circuit.

32. The configurable IC of claim 31, wherein each circuit in the subset of the second circuits acts as an interconnect circuit when configured to serve as a non-storage circuit.

33. The configurable IC of claim 31, wherein each circuit in the subset of the second circuits acts as a routing circuit when configured to serve as a non-storage circuit.