Configurable ICs that conditionally transition through configuration data sets

• US 7,535,252 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Teig, Steven, Redgrave, Jason, Caldwell, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Jany
• Application Number:
  US11/754,263
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 326 37- 41, 326/47
• US Class Current: 326/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/3323 using formal methods, e.g. equivalence checking or property checking
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1733 Controllable logic circuits H03K19/177 takes precedence

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method of operating a configurable circuit. The method performs a first operation by the configurable circuit based on a first configuration data set. When a user-design signal has a value from a set of values, the method performs a second operation based on a second configuration data set, after the first operation. When the user-design signal does not have a value from said set of values, the method performs a third operation based on a third configuration data set, after the first operation. Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable IC that includes a set of reconfigurable circuits and sets of associated configuration storage elements that store configuration data sets. At least one reconfigurable circuit receives a first sub-set of its configuration data when a user-design signal has a first value and receives a second sub-set of its configuration data when the user-design signal has a second value.

Claims

1. A method of operating a configurable circuit of an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:

a) performing a first operation by the configurable circuit based on a first configuration data set;

b) generating a user-design signal within the IC;

c) when the user-design signal has a value from a set of values, performing a second operation by the configurable circuit based on a second configuration data set, after the first operation; and

d) when the user-design signal does not have a value from said set of values, performing a third operation by the configurable circuit based on a third configuration data set, after the first operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third configuration data sets are supplied to the configurable circuit by a selection circuit, the selection circuit receiving a selection signal based on the user-design signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection signal is generated by a signal generator receiving the user-design signal and generating the selection signal based on the user-design signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-design signal is non-repetitive.

5. A reconfigurable integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a) a set of reconfigurable circuits; and

b) sets of configuration storage elements, each set of configuration storage elements associated with one reconfigurable circuit, each set of configuration storage elements storing a plurality of configuration data sets, wherein each configuration data set defines a set of operations that a reconfigurable circuit performs;

wherein at least one reconfigurable circuit receives a first sub-set of its configuration data when a user-design signal has a first value and receives a second sub-set of its configuration data when the user-design signal has a second value.

6. The reconfigurable IC of claim 5 further comprising:

a set of selection circuits, each selection circuit for supplying a plurality of configuration data sets from the configuration storage elements to each reconfigurable circuit;

wherein at least one selection circuit conditionally supplies configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit based on the user-design signal.

7. The reconfigurable IC of claim 6, further comprising:

a set of signal generators;

wherein at least one signal generator receives the user-design signal and conditionally generates a selection signal to said at least one selection circuit enabling said selection circuit to conditionally supply configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit.

8. The reconfigurable IC of claim 5, wherein the user-design signal is non-repetitive.

9. The reconfigurable IC of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of global clock generators; and

a set of selection circuits, each selection circuit for supplying a plurality of periodic clock signals from the global clock generators to each signal generator;

wherein at least one selection circuit conditionally supplies the periodic clock signals to at least one signal generator based on the user-design signal.

10. A reconfigurable integrated circuit (IC), comprising:

a) a set of reconfigurable circuits; and

b) a plurality of configuration storage locations, each reconfigurable circuit having a corresponding set of configuration storage locations storing a plurality of configuration data sets, each configuration data set determining a set of operations that a reconfigurable circuit performs;

wherein at least one reconfigurable circuit transitions through a particular number of configuration data sets for at least a period of time, wherein said particular number of configuration data sets is less than a number of configuration data sets stored in the corresponding configuration storage locations of the particular reconfigurable circuit;

wherein when a user-design signal has a value from a set of values, the particular reconfigurable circuit reconfigures to perform a first operation and when the user-design signal does not have a value from said set of values, the particular reconfigurable circuit reconfigures to perform a second operation.

11. The reconfigurable IC of claim 10 further comprising:

a set of selection circuits, each selection circuit for supplying a plurality of configuration data sets from the configuration storage locations to each reconfigurable circuit,

wherein at least one selection circuit conditionally supplies configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit based on the user-design signal.

12. The reconfigurable IC of claim 11, further comprising:

a set of signal generators,

wherein at least one signal generator receives the user-design signal and conditionally generates a selection signal to said at least one selection circuit enabling said selection circuit to conditionally supply configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit.

13. The reconfigurable IC of claim 10, wherein the user-design signal is non-repetitive.

14. The reconfigurable IC of claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of global clock generators;

a plurality of signal generators; and

a set of selection circuits, each selection circuit for supplying a plurality of periodic clock signals from the global clock generators to each signal generator,

wherein at least one selection circuit conditionally supplies the periodic clock signals to at least one signal generator based on the user-design signal.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a reconfigurable integrated circuit (IC) comprising;

a) a set of reconfigurable circuits; and

b) sets of configuration storage elements, each set of configuration storage elements associated with one reconfigurable circuit, each set of configuration storage elements storing a plurality of configuration data sets, wherein each configuration data set defines a set of operations that a reconfigurable circuit performs;

wherein at least one reconfigurable circuit receives a first sub-set of its configuration data when a user-design signal has a first value and receives a second sub-set of its configuration data when the user-design signal has a second value.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, the IC further comprising:

a set of selection circuits, each selection circuit for supplying a plurality of configuration data sets from the configuration storage elements to each reconfigurable circuit;

wherein at least one selection circuit conditionally supplies configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit based on the user-design signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, the IC further comprising:

a set of signal generators;

wherein at least one signal generator receives the user-design signal and conditionally generates a selection signal to said at least one selection circuit enabling said selection circuit to conditionally supply configuration data sets to said at least one reconfigurable circuit.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a reconfigurable integrated circuit (IC), comprising;

a) a set of reconfigurable circuits; and

b) a plurality of configuration storage locations, each reconfigurable circuit having a corresponding set of configuration storage locations storing a plurality of configuration data sets, each configuration data set determining a set of operations that a reconfigurable circuit performs;

wherein at least one reconfigurable circuit transitions through a particular number of configuration data sets for at least a period of time, wherein said particular number of configuration data sets is less than a number of configuration data sets stored in the corresponding configuration storage locations of the particular reconfigurable circuit;

wherein when a user-design signal has a value from a set of values, the particular reconfigurable circuit reconfigures to perform a first operation and when the user-design signal does not have a value from said set of values, the particular reconfigurable circuit reconfigures to perform a second operation.