Hybrid configurable circuit for a configurable IC

• US 7,224,182 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Hutchings, Brad, Schmit, Herman, Teig, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawford, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/082,221
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 326 38- 39, 326/41, 326/47
• US Class Current: 326/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17704 the logic functions being realised by the interconnection of rows and columns
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17728 Reconfigurable logic blocks, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17748 Structural details of configuration resources

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (“IC”). This IC includes several configurable logic circuits for receiving configuration data and configurably performing a set of operations based on the configuration data. It also includes several hybrid circuits. Each particular hybrid circuit has: (1) a set of inputs, (2) a set of outputs for selectively connecting to the set of inputs, and (3) a set of select lines for receiving select signals that direct the hybrid circuit to connect the input set to the output set in a particular manner. At least one select signal is for controllably receiving configuration data and at least one select line is for controllably receiving signals generated by the configurable logic circuits.

Claims

1. A configurable integrated circuit (“

IC”

) comprising;

a) a plurality of configurable logic circuits for receiving configuration data and configurably performing a set of operations based on the configuration data; and

b) a plurality of hybrid circuits, each particular hybrid circuit having;

1) a set of inputs,

2) a set of outputs for selectively connecting to the set of inputs, and

3) a set of select lines for receiving select signals that direct the hybrid circuit to connect the input set to the output set in a particular manner, wherein at least one select signal is for controllably receiving configuration data and at least one select line is for controllably receiving signals generated by the configurable logic circuits.

2. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein a particular hybrid circuit performs an interconnect operation when the particular hybrid circuit receives only configuration data on the set of select lines of the particular hybrid circuit.

3. The configurable IC of claim 2, wherein the particular hybrid circuit performs a computation when the particular hybrid circuit receives at least one non-configuration data on the set of select lines of the particular hybrid circuit.

4. The configurable IC of claim 2 further comprising non-configurable circuits, wherein a hybrid circuit receives configuration data through a non-configurable circuit.

5. The configurable IC of claim 1, wherein the hybrid circuits are hybrid multiplexers that are controllable either by configuration data for configuring the configurable IC or by signals generated by the IC.

6. The configurable IC of claim 5, wherein the configuration data is supplied from the outside of the IC.

7. The configurable IC of claim 6, wherein the configuration data is data generated by a compiler to configure the configurable IC to implement a particular design.

8. A configurable integrated circuit (“

IC”

) comprising;

a) a plurality of configurable circuits for receiving configuration data and configurably performing a set of operations based on the configuration data; and

b) a plurality of hybrid configurable multiplexers, each particular hybrid configurable multiplexer having a select terminal set for receiving configuration data and for receiving output data from the configurable circuits.

9. The configurable IC of claim 8, wherein each particular hybrid configurable multiplexer further has an input terminal set and an output terminal set, wherein each hybrid configurable multiplexer is for connecting the input and output terminal sets in a particular manner based on the data that the multiplexer receives along the multiplexer'"'"'s select terminal set.

10. The configurable IC of claim 8, wherein each of a plurality of hybrid configurable multiplexer comprises:

a) a core multiplexer having the select terminal set, and

b) an interconnect circuit for receiving the configuration data and for receiving the output data from the configurable circuits and for supplying part of the received data to the select terminal set.

11. The configurable IC of claim 10, wherein the supplied part of the received data includes only configuration data or only output data.

12. The configurable IC of claim 10, wherein the supplied part of the received data includes configuration and output data.

13. The configurable IC of claim 10, wherein the configuration data received by the interconnect circuit is a first set of configuration data, wherein the interconnect circuit receives at least a second set of configuration data for directing the interconnect circuit to supply part of the received data to the select terminal set.

14. The configurable IC of claim 8, wherein the plurality of configurable circuits include a plurality of configurable logic circuits and a plurality of configurable interconnect circuits.

15. The configurable IC of claim 14, wherein the output data is the output data of the logic circuits.

16. The configurable IC of claim 15, wherein at least a plurality of output data is supplied to a plurality of hybrid configurable multiplexers through a plurality of configurable interconnect circuits.

17. The configurable IC of claim 8, wherein the configurable circuits include at least fifty configurable circuits.

18. The configurable IC of claim 17, wherein the configurable circuits are arranged in an array.

19. The configurable IC of claim 18, wherein the hybrid configurable multiplexers are part of the array.

20. The configurable IC of claim 18, wherein the hybrid configurable multiplexers are interspersed in the array.

21. A electronic device comprising:

a) a memory for storing data;

b) a configurable integrated circuit (“

IC”

) for receiving data from the memory, the IC comprising;

a) a plurality of configurable logic circuits for receiving configuration data and configurably performing a set of operations based on the configuration data; and

b) a plurality of hybrid circuits, each particular hybrid circuit having;

1) a set of inputs,

2) a set of outputs for selectively connecting to the set of inputs, and

3) a set of select lines for receiving select signals that direct the hybrid circuit to connect the input set to the output set in a particular manner, wherein at least one select signal is for controllably receiving configuration data and at least one select line is for controllably receiving signals generated by the configurable logic circuits.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein a particular hybrid circuit performs an interconnect operation when the particular hybrid circuit receives only configuration data on the set of select lines of the particular hybrid circuit.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the particular hybrid circuit performs a computation when the particular hybrid circuit receives at least one non-configuration data on the set of select lines of the particular hybrid circuit.

24. The electronic device of claim 22 further comprising non-configurable circuits, wherein a hybrid circuit receives configuration data through a non-configurable circuit.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the hybrid circuits are hybrid multiplexers that are controllable either by configuration data for configuring the configurable IC or by signals generated by the IC.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the configuration data is supplied from the outside of the IC.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the configuration data is data generated by a compiler to configure the configurable IC to implement a particular design.