Configurable circuits, IC's, and systems

• US 8,193,830 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tabula Incorporated
• Inventors: Schmit, Herman, Butts, Michael, Hutchings, Brad L., Teig, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, James H
• Application Number:
  US12/965,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 326 37- 41, 326/47
• US Class Current: 326/38
• 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

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing several functions on the input data sets. Each configuration data set specifies a particular function that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set. The IC also includes a connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) that has a first interface rate for exchanging signals in at least one direction with a circuit outside of the IC, the IC comprising:

a plurality of reconfigurable circuits,

each particular reconfigurable circuit in the plurality of reconfigurable circuits for reconfiguring at a second rate faster than the first interface rate, wherein the second rate is an integer multiple of the first interface rate.

2. The IC of claim 1, wherein the exchanging comprises sending signals from circuits inside of the IC to the circuit outside of the IC and receiving signals from the circuit outside of the IC to circuits inside of the IC.

3. The IC of claim 1, wherein the exchanging comprises one of sending signals from circuits inside of the IC to the circuit outside of the IC and receiving signals from the circuit outside of the IC to circuits inside of the IC.

4. The IC of claim 1 further comprising a signal generator for generating a configuration signal for selecting configuration data for the plurality of reconfigurable circuits.

5. The IC of claim 4, wherein the first interface rate defines an interface cycle, wherein the signal generator is a sub-cycle signal generator that generates a sub-cycle signal for each sub-cycle, wherein an interface cycle comprises a plurality of sub-cycles.

6. The IC of claim 1, wherein the circuit outside of the IC is a memory.

7. The IC of claim 1 further comprising an interface circuit for communicating with the circuit outside of the IC at the first interface rate.

8. The IC of claim 7, wherein the first interface rate is a fastest rate that any interface circuit of the IC exchanges signals with a circuit outside of the IC.

9. The IC of claim 7, wherein the first interface rate is a slowest rate that any interface circuit of the IC exchanges signals with a circuit outside of the IC.

10. The IC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reconfigurable circuits comprises a plurality of reconfigurable logic circuits and a plurality of reconfigurable interconnect circuits.

11. An electronics system comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) comprising at least one reconfigurable circuit; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the IC at a first interface rate for exchanging in data with the IC,

wherein a first reconfigurable circuit in the IC is reconfigured at a second rate faster than the first interface rate, wherein the second rate is an integer multiple of the first interface rate.

12. The electronics system of claim 11, wherein the IC further comprises multiple interface circuits for communicating with circuitry outside of the IC, wherein at least one of the interface circuits is for communicating with the circuitry outside of the IC at the first interface rate.

13. The electronics system of claim 12, wherein the first interface rate is faster than a first operational rate of at least a second interface circuit, but slower than a second operational rate of a third interface circuit.

14. The electronics system of claim 11, wherein the IC further comprises a signal generator for generating a configuration signal that causes a plurality of reconfigurable circuits on the IC to reconfigure at a reconfiguration rate that is faster than the first interface rate.

15. A method of operating an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a reconfigurable circuit for reconfigurably performing a plurality of operations, the method comprising:

exchanging signals in at least one direction with a circuit outside of the IC at a first interface rate; and

based on a plurality of different configuration data sets, reconfiguring the reconfigurable circuit at a second rate faster than the first interface rate, wherein the second rate is an integer multiple of the first interface rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reconfigurable circuit reconfigures when configuration data that specifies the operation of the reconfigurable circuit changes from a first configuration data set to a second configuration data set.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the exchanging comprises at least one of:

sending signals from circuits inside the IC to circuits outside the IC; and

receiving signals from circuits outside the IC to circuits inside the IC.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first interface rate is the rate that an interface circuit of the IC exchanges signals with circuits outside of the IC.