Microcontroller incorporating an enhanced peripheral controller for automatic updating the configuration date of multiple peripherals by using a ferroelectric memory array

• US 6,145,020 A
• Filed: 05/14/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silicon Storage Technology Incorporated (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barnett, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US09/078,952
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/13, 710/10, 710/62, 395/275, 395/375, 395/481, 395/500, 711/4, 711/103, 326/37, 326/38, 326/39, 713/100
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7814 Specially adapted for real time processing, e.g. comprising hardware timers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture

Abstract

The present invention is an enhanced peripheral controller communicating between a microcontroller and multiple peripherals that increases the speed with which configuration data sets are loaded. The enhanced peripheral controller includes a programmable logic array (PLA) and an FeRAM array. A reconfigurable peripheral controller is programmed onto the programmable logic array from a configuration data set for one of multiple peripherals. The reconfigurable peripheral controller is reprogrammed each time a new peripheral is connected to the microcontroller. The FeRAM array contains the configuration data set for programming the reconfigurable peripheral controller onto the programmable logic array. The FeRAM will receive a different configuration data set for each different peripheral to be programmed onto the PLA. Because the FeRAM operates at the speed of RAM, it receives the configuration data set for each peripheral on the fly as the microcontroller operates. In addition, the microcontroller and FeRAM cooperate to reprogram the reconfigurable peripheral controller on the fly for each different peripheral.

Claims

1. An enhanced peripheral controller communicating between a microprocessor and multiple peripherals, said enhanced peripheral controller comprising,

an FeRAM capable of receiving a configuration data set for one of said peripherals selected to communicate with said microprocessor,

a PLA cooperating with said FeRAM to receive said configuration data set for said selected peripheral, said microprocessor programming said configuration data set into said PLA on the fly to create a reconfigurable peripheral controller to provide communication between said microprocessor and said selected peripheral, said reconfigurable peripheral controller being reconfigured on the fly each time a new one of said peripherals is selected to communicate with said microprocessor.

2. The enhanced peripheral controller of claim 1 in which said microprocessor is capable of reading a different configuration data set for each of said multiple peripherals into said FERAM on the fly as said microprocessor operates.

3. A microcontroller capable of being connected to one of multiple peripherals, said microcontroller comprising,

a microprocessor,

an FeRAM capable of receiving a configuration data set for one of said peripheral selected to communicate with said microprocessor,

a PLA cooperating with said FeRAM to receive said configuration data set for said selected peripheral, said microprocessor programming said configuration data set into said PLA on the fly to create a reconfigurable peripheral controller to provide communication between said microprocessor and said selected peripheral, said reconfigurable peripheral controller being reconfigured on the fly each time a new one of said peripherals is selected to communicate with said microprocessor.

4. The microcontroller of claim 3 in which said microprocessor is capable of reading a different configuration data set for each of said multiple peripherals into said FeRAM on the fly as said microprocessor operates.

9. The microcontroller of claim 3 including,

a processor within said microprocessor,

one or more state machines within said processor to indicate the status of said processor, said state machines made up of non-volatile ferroelectric memory cells.

10. The microcontroller of claim 9 including a detector cooperating with said microprocessor to detect low power to said microprocessor.

11. The microcontroller of claim 10 including a switch cooperating with said processor to halt said processor at the end of an instruction when said low power is detected.

12. The microcontroller of claim 10 including a switch cooperating with said processor to halt said processor during an instruction when said low power is detected.

13. The microcontroller of claim 3 including one or more internal processor control registers cooperating with said microprocessor that hold data being manipulated by said microprocessor, said internal processor control registers made up of non-volatile ferroelectric memory cells.

14. The microcontroller of claim 13 in which said internal processor control registers include a stack pointer, a program counter, and one or more data pointers.

15. The microcontroller of claim 14 including a code store cooperating with said microprocessor, said code store containing a program to control said microprocessor, said code store made up of non-volatile ferroelectric memory cells.

5. An enhanced peripheral controller communicating between a microprocessor and multiple peripherals comprising,

an FeRAM capable of receiving a configuration data set for one of said peripherals selected to communicate with said microprocessor,

a reconfigurable peripheral controller capable of being programmed onto a programmable logic array from a configuration data set received from said FERAM for said selected one of said multiple peripherals, said reconfigurable peripheral controller providing communication between said microprocessor and said selected one of said multiple peripherals, said reconfigurable peripheral controller being reconfigured on the fly as said microprocessor operates each time another one of said multiple peripherals is selected to communicate with said microprocessor.

6. The enhanced peripheral controller of claim 5 in which said microprocessor is capable of reading a different configuration data set for each of said multiple peripherals into said FeRAM on the fly as said microprocessor operates.

7. A microcontroller capable of being connected to one of multiple peripherals comprising,

a microprocessor,

an FeRAM capable of receiving a configuration data set for one of said peripherals selected to communicate with said microprocessor,

a reconfigurable peripheral controller capable of being programmed onto a programmable logic array from a configuration data set received from said FeRAM for said selected one of said multiple peripherals, said reconfigurable peripheral controller providing communication between said microprocessor and said selected one of said multiple peripherals, said reconfigurable peripheral controller being reconfigured on the fly as said microprocessor operates each time another one of said multiple peripherals is selected to communicate with said microprocessor.

8. The enhanced peripheral controller of claim 7 in which said microprocessor is capable of reading a different configuration data set for each of said multiple peripherals into said FeRAM on the fly as said microprocessor operates.