I/O buffer circuit with pin multiplexing
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit comprising:
- a field programmable gate array (FPGA) core;
an input/output buffer circuit;
an input/output pin coupled to the input/output buffer circuit;
an output multiplexer capable of receiving “
N”
signals and time-multiplexing the “
N”
signals onto the input/output pin;
an input multiplexer capable of receiving a time-multiplexed signal and de-multiplexing the time-multiplexed signal into “
N”
separate signals; and
“
N”
bi-directional core connections between the FPGA core and the input/output buffer circuit for either transmitting signals from the FPGA core to the input/output buffer circuit or for transmitting signals from the input/output buffer to the FPGA core; and
wherein “
N”
is any integer greater than 1.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit for implementing reconfigurable logic, such as a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”), as described herein has flexible input/output buffer circuits. These input/output buffer circuits transfer data either bidirectionally or unidirectionally between an input/output pin and a FPGA core. Each input/output buffer circuit allows at least two signals to be time-multiplexed onto an input/output pin thereby doubling the effective input/output capacity. The input/output buffer circuits may be used to time-multiplex at least two signals onto an input pin, at least two signals onto an output pin, or both. Each input/output buffer circuit further has shared flip flops for time-multiplexing signals. The circuitry provides two connections into the FPGA core which can be used to time-multiplex at least two independent inputs or outputs.
162 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit comprising:
-
a field programmable gate array (FPGA) core;
an input/output buffer circuit;
an input/output pin coupled to the input/output buffer circuit;
an output multiplexer capable of receiving “
N”
signals and time-multiplexing the “
N”
signals onto the input/output pin;
an input multiplexer capable of receiving a time-multiplexed signal and de-multiplexing the time-multiplexed signal into “
N”
separate signals; and
“
N”
bi-directional core connections between the FPGA core and the input/output buffer circuit for either transmitting signals from the FPGA core to the input/output buffer circuit or for transmitting signals from the input/output buffer to the FPGA core; and
wherein “
N”
is any integer greater than 1.
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2. A circuit for implementing re-configurable logic, comprising:
-
a core;
a connection to the core capable of transmitting a signal bi-directionally;
an input/output pin capable of transmitting a signal bi-directionally;
an input/output (I/O) buffer configured to receive a first signal from the connection and a second signal from the input/output pin, and to output the first signal to the input/output pin and the second signal to the connection in a time-multiplexed manner.
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3. An integrated device for implementing re-configurable logic, comprising:
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a core;
a first input/output buffer coupled to the core via a first connection and a second connection, the first and second connections capable of transmitting signals bi-directionally between the core and the first input/output buffer, the first input/output buffer capable of receiving a first signal from the core via the first connection and a second signal from the core via the second connection, and configured to time-multiplex the first and second signals onto an input/output pin.
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4. The integrated device of 3 wherein the first input/output buffer is configured to transmit the first signal from the first connection to the input/output pin along a first path, and to transmit the second signal from the second connection to the input/output pin along a second path, wherein the first and second paths are substantially independent of each other.
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5. The integrated device of 3 wherein the first input/output buffer is capable of receiving a third signal and a fourth signal via the input/output pin in a time-multiplexed manner, transmitting the third signal to the core via the first connection, and transmitting the fourth signal to the core via the second connection.
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6. The integrated device of 5 wherein the first input/output buffer is configured to transmit the third signal to the first connection along a third path, and to transmit the fourth signal to the second connection along a fourth path, wherein the third and fourth paths are substantially independent of each other.
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7. The integrated device of 5 wherein the first input/output buffer is capable of transmitting the third and fourth signals to the core after a programmable delay.
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8. The integrated device of 5 wherein the first input/output buffer further comprises:
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a receiver configured to receive the third signal and the fourth signal;
a first input multiplexer configured to receive the first signal from the first connection and the third signal from the receiver; and
a second input multiplexer configured to receive the second signal from the second connection and the fourth signal from the receiver.
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9. The integrated device of 8 wherein the first input/output buffer further comprises:
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a first flip-flop configured to receive the first signal and the second signal from the first input multiplexer;
a second flip-flop configured to receive the third signal and the fourth signal from the second input multiplexer; and
an output multiplexer configured to receive the first signal from the first flip-flop and the third signal from the second flip-flop.
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10. The integrated device of 3 further comprising:
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a second input/output buffer coupled to the core via a third connection; and
wherein the first input/output buffer is coupled to the third connection whereby the first input/output buffer may utilize the third connection when it is not being used by the second input/output buffer.
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11. The integrated device of 10 wherein a signal received from the core via the third connection is used to control a mode of operation of the first input/output buffer.
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12. The integrated device of 3 wherein the first input/output buffer is capable of time-multiplexing the first and second signals asynchronously relative to tirnings of the first and second signals.
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13. A circuit for implementing reconfigurable logic, comprising:
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a first circuit comprising;
a first core; and
a first input/output buffer coupled to the first core via a first connection and a second connection, the first and second connections capable of transmitting signals bi-directionally between the first core and the first input/output buffer, the first input/output buffer capable of receiving a first signal from the first core via the first connection and a second signal from the first core via the second connection, and configured to time-multiplex the first and second signals onto an input/output pin; and
a second circuit comprising;
a second core; and
a second input/output buffer coupled to the second core via a third connection and a fourth connection, the third and fourth connections capable of transmitting signals bi-directionally between the second core and the second input/output buffer, the second input/output buffer capable of receiving the first signal and the second signal from the input/output pin in a time-multiplexed manner, transmitting the first signal to the second core via the third connection, and transmitting the second signal to the second core via the fourth connection. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. In an integrated circuit device comprising a core, an input/output buffer, and an input/output pin, a method of communicating signals between the core and the input/output pin, the method comprising:
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coupling the input/output buffer to the core via a first connection capable of transmitting a signal bi-directionally;
receiving, at the input/output buffer, a first signal from the core via the first connection;
receiving, at the input/output buffer, a second signal via the input/output pin; and
outputting the first signal to the input/output pin and the second signal to the first connection in a time-multiplexed manner.
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17. In an integrated circuit device comprising a core, an input/output buffer, and an input/output pin, a method of communicating signals between the core and the input/output pin, the method comprising:
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coupling the first input/output buffer to the core via a first connection and a second connection, the first and second connections capable of transmitting signals bi-directionally between the core and the first input/output buffer;
receiving, at the first input/output buffer, a first signal from the core via the first connection;
receiving, at the first input/output buffer, a second signal from the core via the second connection; and
time-multiplexing the first and second signals onto the input/output pin. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
receiving, at the first input/output buffer, a third signal and a fourth signal via the input/output pin in a time-multiplexed manner, transmitting the third signal to the core via the first connection; and
transmitting the fourth signal to the core via the second connection.
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19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
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coupling a second input/output buffer to the core via a third connection; and
controlling a mode of operation of the first input/output buffer based on a signal received from the core via the third connection.
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Specification