Reconfigurable integrated circuit device to automatically configure an initialization circuit

• US 20070279087A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Imafuku, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 326/38
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17732 Macroblocks
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17758 for speeding up configuration or reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1776 for memories
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17772 for powering on or off

Abstract

A reconfigurable integrated circuit device which is configured to an arbitrary computation state based on configuration data has a reconfiguration circuit unit, having a plurality of processor elements which are reconfigurable and a processor element network which connects the processor elements in an arbitrary state; and, a configuration control section, which supplies configuration data to the processor elements and to the processor element network, to configure the reconfiguration circuit unit in an arbitrary state. In response to reset, at least a portion of the reconfiguration circuit unit is configured as a memory initialization circuit which writes initial values to internal memory or to external memory, and, after completion of operation of the memory initialization circuit, the configuration control section begins supplying the configuration data.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable integrated circuit device, configured to an arbitrary computation state based on configuration data, comprising:

a reconfiguration circuit unit, having a plurality of processor elements which are reconfigurable and a processor element network which connects said processor elements in an arbitrary state; and

a configuration control section, which supplies configuration data to said processor elements and to said processor element network, to configure said reconfiguration circuit unit in an arbitrary state,

wherein in response to reset, at least a portion of said reconfiguration circuit unit is configured as a memory initialization circuit which writes initial values to internal memory or to external memory; and

after completion of operation of the memory initialization circuit, said configuration control section begins supplying said configuration data.

2. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 1, further comprising a configuration register which acquires said configuration data in response to a state transition signal from the configuration control section, wherein

based on configuration data acquired by the configuration register, said reconfiguration circuit unit is configured in said arbitrary state, and in response to said reset, said configuration register is initialized to initialization configuration data corresponding to said memory initialization circuit state.

3. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein said configuration register has a plurality of flip-flops, an external reset cancel signal generated at the time of said reset is selectively supplied to clear terminals or to preset terminals of the plurality of flip-flops, and, through generation of the external reset cancel signal, said initialization configuration data is set in said plurality of flip-flops.

4. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 2, further comprising an initialized circuit, wherein

said configuration register has a first configuration register, which is initialized to first configuration data configuring said memory initialization circuit, and a second configuration register, which is initialized to second configuration data configuring an additional initialization circuit to initialize said initialized circuit;

said reset is generated by a first reset signal generated at a time power is turned on and by a second reset signal generated by a CPU; and

in response to said first reset signal, said first and second configuration registers are initialized, while in response to said second reset signal, said first configuration register is initialized but said second configuration register is not initialized.

5. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein

said internal memory comprises at least one from among a working memory connected to an internal bus and a memory element within said reconfiguration circuit unit, and

said memory initialization circuit has a plurality of circuits which initialize each of said internal memory and said external memory.

6. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein said reset is generated by either one of, or both of, a first reset signal generated when power is turned on, and a second reset signal generated by a CPU.

7. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein

said memory initialization circuit comprises an address generation circuit which generates successive addresses of the memory circuit for initialization and an initial value generation circuit which generates said initial values, and

based on said configuration data, the address generation circuit and the initial value generation circuit are configured by said processor elements and said processor element network.

8. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 7, wherein

said address generation circuit successively generates said addresses in synchronization with a clock,

said initial value generation circuit generates initial values to be written to the addresses in synchronization with a clock, and

the addresses and initial values are supplied to the memory circuit to be initialized.

9. A reconfigurable integrated circuit device, configured to an arbitrary computation state based on configuration data, comprising:

a reconfiguration circuit unit, having a plurality of processor elements which are reconfigurable and a processor element network which connects said processor elements in an arbitrary state; and

a configuration control section, which supplies configuration data to said reconfiguration circuit unit, to configure said reconfiguration circuit unit in an arbitrary state;

wherein, in response to a reset signal, said configuration data supplied to said reconfiguration circuit unit is set to initialization configuration data, and based on the initialization configuration data, at least a portion within said reconfiguration circuit unit is configured as a memory initialization circuit which writes initial values to memory circuits.

10. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 9, wherein

said memory initialization circuit comprises an address generation circuit which generates successive addresses of the memory circuit for initialization and an initial value generation circuit which generates said initial values, and

based on said configuration data, the address generation circuit and the initial value generation circuit are configured by said processor elements and said processor element network.

11. The reconfigurable integrated circuit device according to claim 10, wherein

said address generation circuit successively generates said addresses in synchronization with a clock,

said initial value generation circuit generates initial values to be written to the addresses in synchronization with a clock, and

the addresses and initial values are supplied to the memory circuit to be initialized.