Field programmable gate array and microcontroller system-on-a-chip

• US 7,516,303 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsemi SoC Corp. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Actel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hightower, David, Plants, William C., Kundu, Arunangshu, Goldfein, Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Eddie P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faherty; Corey S
• Application Number:
  US11/187,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 712/29, 712/36, 712/225
• US Class Current: 712/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7842 on one IC chip (single chip microcontrollers)
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture

Abstract

A system-on-a-chip integrated circuit has a field programmable gate array core having logic clusters, static random access memory modules, and routing resources, a field programmable gate array virtual component interface translator having inputs and outputs, wherein the inputs are connected to the field programmable gate array core, a microcontroller, a microcontroller virtual component interface translator having input and outputs, wherein the inputs are connected to the microcontroller, a system bus connected to the outputs of the field programmable gate array virtual component interface translator and also to the outputs of said microcontroller virtual component interface translator, and direct connections between the microcontroller and the routing resources of the field programmable gate array core.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a field programmable gate array (FPGA) core having logic clusters and static random access memory modules, the FPGA core having programmable routing resources;

a system bus configured to convey signals within the integrated circuit;

a FPGA virtual component interface translator coupled to the FPGA core and to the system bus, the FPGA virtual component interface translator configured to translate signals from the FPGA core in a first protocol to the system bus in a second protocol, and from the system bus in the second protocol to the FPGA core in the FPGA core;

a microcontroller coupled to the system bus and to the programmable routing resources;

a microcontroller virtual component interface translator coupled to the microcontroller and the system bus, the microcontroller virtual component interface translator configured to translate signals from the system bus in the second protocol to the microprocessor in a third protocol, and from the microprocessor in the third protocol to the system bus in the second protocol;

programmable routing resources coupled to the FPGA core and to the microcontroller and configured to allow a plurality of programmable connections between the FPGA core and the microcontroller;

a peripheral bus coupled to the system bus through a bridge;

a first dedicated I/O module; and

a first peripheral virtual component interface translator coupled to the first dedicated I/O module through routing resources and to and the peripheral bus, the first peripheral virtual component interface translator configured to translate signals from a fourth protocol in the first dedicated I/O module to the second protocol on the system bus; and

to translate signals from the second protocol on the system bus to the fourth protocol in first dedicated I/O module.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a random access memory coupled to the microcontroller through the system bus and to the programmable routing resources;

a program-store memory coupled to the microcontroller through the system bus and to the programmable routing resources; and

a register file coupled to the microcontroller through the system bus and to the programmable routing resources.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a JTAG port coupled to the first dedicated I/O module.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a second dedicated I/O module; and

a second peripheral virtual component interface translator coupled to the second dedicated I/O module through routing resources and to and the peripheral bus, the second peripheral virtual component interface translator configured to translate signals from a fifth protocol in the second dedicated I/O module to the second protocol on the system bus; and

to translate signals from the second protocol on the system bus to the fifth protocol in the second dedicated I/O module.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4 further comprising a UART coupled to the first dedicated I/O module.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a first FIFO coupled between the register file and the routing resources; and

a second FIFO coupled between the routing resources and the register file.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the plurality of programmable connections further comprise direct connections between the FPGA core and the microcontroller, and the integrated circuit is configurable to provide direct connections between the FPGA core and the microcontroller and connections between the FPGA core and the microcontroller through the FPGA virtual component interface and the microcontroller virtual component interface.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 further comprising a first plurality of signals directed between the FPGA core and the microcontroller exclusively through the FPGA core virtual component interface and the microcontroller virtual component interface.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 8 further comprising a second plurality of signals directed between the FPGA core and the microcontroller through either the FPGA core virtual component interface and the microcontroller virtual component interface or through the routing resources.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9 further comprising a third plurality of signals directed between the FPGA core and the microcontroller exclusively through the routing resources.