Configurable IC Having A Routing Fabric With Storage Elements

• US 20080231314A1
• Filed: 05/27/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Teig, Steven, Redgrave, Jason, Schmit, Herman
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 326/37
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17704 the logic functions being realised by the interconnection of rows and columns
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a configurable IC that includes a configurable routing fabric with storage elements. In some embodiments, the routing fabric provides a communication pathway that routes signals to and from source and destination components. The routing fabric of some embodiments provides the ability to selectively store the signals passing through the routing fabric within the storage elements of the routing fabric. In this manner, a source or destination component continually performs operations (e.g., computational or routing) irrespective of whether a previous signal from or to such a component is stored within the routing fabric. The source and destination components include configurable logic circuits, configurable interconnect circuits, and various other circuits that receive or distribute signals throughout the configurable IC.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a) an interconnect circuit;

b) a first storage element directly connected to said interconnect circuit for storing in at least one cycle the output of the interconnect circuit for at least one cycle; and

c) a second storage element configurably connected to said first storage element for receiving the output of the first storage element and for storing said output for at least one cycle before supplying the output to a destination.

2. The IC of claim 1, wherein the output of the first storage element is further directly connects to a second destination.

3. The IC of claim 1, wherein the output of the storage element is directly connected to a first and at least one other destination circuit.

4. The IC of claim 1, wherein the IC is a configurable IC comprising a plurality of configurable circuits.

5. The IC of claim 4 comprising sets of configuration data for controlling the plurality of configurable circuits.

6. The IC of claim 5, wherein the sets of configuration data are stored in a configuration data storage.

7. The IC of claim 5, wherein the interconnect circuit comprises an output stage with a third storage element.

8. The IC of claim 7, wherein the output stage directly connects to the first storage element.

9. The IC of claim 1, wherein said cycle comprises a user-design clock cycle.

10. The IC of claim 1, wherein said cycle comprises a sub-cycle of a user-design clock cycle.

11. An electronic device comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) comprising;

a) an interconnect circuit;

b) a first storage element directly connected to said interconnect circuit for storing in at least one cycle the output of the interconnect circuit for at least one cycle; and

c) a second storage element configurably connected to said first storage element for receiving the output of the first storage element. And for storing said output for at least one cycle before supplying the output to a destination.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the storage elements and interconnect circuit are configurable.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the output of the first storage element is further directly connected to a second destination.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising a routing fabric, wherein the routing fabric comprises at least one wire segment used for establishing the direct connection.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the routing fabric further comprises at least one via used for establishing the direct connection.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the routing fabric further comprises at least one buffer circuit used for establishing the direct connection.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the routing fabric does not include interconnect circuits.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the interconnect circuit comprises an output stage with a third storage element.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the output stage directly connects to the first storage element.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein said cycle comprises a sub-cycle of a user-design clock cycle.