Runtime loading of configuration data in a configurable IC

• US 7,696,780 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Hutchings, Brad, Redgrave, Jason, Khubchandani, Teju, Schmit, Herman, Teig, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh Q
• Application Number:
  US12/106,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 326 38- 41
• US Class Current: 326/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/32 Merging, i.e. combining data contained in ordered sequence on at least two record carriers to produce a single carrier or set of carriers having all the original data in the ordered sequence merging methods in generalG06F7/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/764 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17752 for hot reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17756 for partial configuration or partial reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17758 for speeding up configuration or reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17764 for reliability

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) that has several configurable circuits for configurably performing different operations. During the operation of the IC, each particular configurable circuit performs a particular operation that is specified by a particular configuration data set for the particular configurable circuit. While the IC operates and a first set of configurable circuits performs a first set of operations, configuration data is loaded from the outside of the IC for configuring a second set of configurable circuits. In some embodiments, the configurable IC includes a configuration network for rapid loading configuration data in the IC from outside of the IC. In some of these embodiments, the configuration network is a pipelined network. Also, the IC of some embodiments includes a configuration controller for retrieving configuration data from outside of the IC, formulating configuration data sets, and routing the configuration data sets to the second set of configurable circuits over the configuration network.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

an arrangement of a plurality of configurable circuits comprising first and second groups of configurable circuits; and

a configuration network for simultaneously carrying different configuration data sets for multiple sets of configurable circuits and for loading configuration data for the first group from outside of the arrangement while the second group performs operations based on configuration data that was previously loaded for the second group by the configuration network.

2. The IC of claim 1, wherein configuration data is loaded from a non-volatile memory outside of the IC.

3. The IC of claim 1, wherein said configuration network is further for loading configuration data sets in a pipelined fashion.

4. The IC of claim 1, wherein a first portion of said configuration network is for carrying one configuration data set while a second portion of said configuration network carries another configuration data set.

5. The IC of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sets of storage elements comprising a first set of storage elements for storing configuration data for the first group and a second set of storage elements for storing configuration data for the second group.

6. The IC of claim 1 further comprising a configuration controller for receiving configuration data from outside of the IC, formulating configuration data sets, and routing said configuration data sets to at least one group of configurable circuits over the configuration network.

7. The IC of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of configurable routing circuits for routing signals between circuits,

wherein the configuration network is separate from a data routing network formed by a plurality of configurable routing circuits.

8. The IC of claim 1, wherein each configurable circuit is for configurably performing operations based on configuration data.

20. The IC of claim 1 further comprising buffers for segmenting the configuration network into multiple different sections, wherein each section is for carrying different configuration data sets.

21. The IC of claim 20, wherein the buffers comprise a plurality of sets of shift registers, wherein each set of shift registers is for storing a configuration data set for a duration of time.

9. A method of operating an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a plurality of configurable circuits for configurably performing operations based on configuration data, the method comprising:

starting operation of the IC; and

while a particular group of configurable circuits operates based on configuration data, loading configuration data for configuring at least one other group of configurable circuits,

wherein loading the configuration data comprises providing different configuration data sets that are simultaneously carried over a configuration network to different sets of configurable circuits.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein configuration data is loaded from outside of the IC.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein configuration data is loaded from a non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the configurable circuits are in an arrangement, wherein configuration data is loaded from outside of the arrangement.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of configurable circuits are configurable logic circuits for configurably performing logic operations.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of circuits are configurable routing circuits for configurably performing routing operations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said loading comprises the configuration network of the IC is different than a data routing network formed by a plurality of the configurable routing circuits.

16. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a plurality of sets of configurable circuits for configurably performing different operations; and

a network comprising;

a plurality of lines that traverse multiple sets, said lines for carrying data simultaneously for multiple sets; and

a plurality of storage elements for dividing the plurality of lines into a plurality of sets of different line segments, wherein two sets of line segments that are on two sides of a particular set of storage elements are for carrying two different data sets.

17. The IC of claim 16, wherein the sets of configurable circuits are organized in an arrangement.

18. The IC of claim 17, wherein two different data sets that are being carried on two sets of line segments that are on two sides of a particular set of storage elements are data sets that are being carried into the arrangement by the network.

19. The IC of claim 17, wherein two different data sets that are being carried on two sets of line segments that are on two sides of a particular set of storage elements are data sets that are being carried out of the arrangement by the network.