Method of self-synchronization of configurable elements of a programmable module

• US 7,036,036 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1997
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Scientia Sol Mentis AG (PACT XPP Schweiz AG)
• Original Assignee: Pact XPP Technologies, AG
• Inventors: Vorbach, Martin, Münch, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANCHUS III, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US10/379,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 713/400, 713/401, 713/375
• US Class Current: 713/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture

Abstract

A method of synchronizing and reconfiguring configurable elements in a programmable unit is provided. A unit has a two- or multi-dimensional, programmable cell architecture (e.g., DFP, DPGA, etc.), and any configurable element can have access to a configuration register and a status register of the other configurable elements via an interconnection architecture and can thus have an active influence on their function and operation. By making synchronization the responsibility of each element, more synchronization tasks can be performed at the same time because independent elements no longer interfere with each other in accessing a central synchronization instance.

Claims

1. A method for controlling data processing by an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of data processing elements that are arranged for at least one of arithmetically and logically processing data using a sequence of commands, the sequence including jumps, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of the processing elements that each include at least one corresponding register;

predefining at least one corresponding configuration command; and

storing each of the at least one corresponding configuration command in one of the at least one register corresponding to the processing element;

processing data in at least one first processing element;

obtaining at least one of a comparison, a sign, a carry-over, and an error state during the processing of the data in the at least one first processing element;

in response to the at least one of the comparison, the sign, the carry-over, and the error state, generating for the at least one second processing element at least one first synchronization signal within a data stream during runtime;

processing data in at least one second processing element in a stream-like manner; and

in response to the at least one first synchronization signal, selecting at least one particular command from the stored configuration commands in order to control a jump in the sequence.