Configuration of programmable IC design elements

• US 8,499,270 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Best, Andrew, Ogami, Kenneth, Zhaksilikov, Marat
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, SUN J
• Application Number:
  US13/171,061
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 716/116, 716/117, 716/128, 716/139
• US Class Current: 716/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]

Abstract

A system and method are provided for configuring a programmable integrated circuit including a number of function blocks. In one embodiment, the system includes a programmable integrated circuit including a number of function blocks, and a host computing device to configure the number of function blocks to perform a number of functions. The host computing device utilizes a graphical user interface to provide specification of configuration parameters of the function blocks, and the graphical user interface updates a given configuration parameter if a value of the given configuration parameter is affected by a value specified for another configuration parameter. Other embodiments are also provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a programmable integrated circuit including a number of function blocks; and

a host computing device to configure the number of function blocks to perform a number of functions, the host computing device utilizing a graphical user interface to provide specification of configuration parameters of the function blocks, wherein the graphical user interface updates a given configuration parameter if a value of the given configuration parameter is affected by a value specified for another configuration parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the number of function blocks comprise one or more analog function blocks, one or more digital function blocks, or one or more digital and one or more analog function blocks.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a function specific graphical user interface based on a function the host computing device to configure the number of function blocks to perform.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the number of functions the host computing device configures the number of function blocks to perform comprises a driver circuit for a light emitting element.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the light emitting element comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs), seven segmented LEDs, triads of high brightness colored LEDs or a liquid crystal display (LCD).

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the configuration parameters comprise one or more of a color temperature of the light emitting element, a brightness of the light emitting element, and a chromaticity of the light emitting element.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface presents a selectable or editable graphical field for specification of at least one of the configuration parameters.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface presents a selectable or editable alphanumeric field for specification of at least one of the configuration parameters.

9. A method comprising:

determining a function to be performed by a number of function blocks in a programmable integrated circuit;

generating a graphical user interface for specifying one or more configuration parameters of the number of function blocks to perform the determined function; and

using a processor of a computing device, configuring at least one of the number of function blocks to perform the determined function based on a value of at least one of the one or more configuration parameters specified through the graphical user interface, and updating a given configuration parameter if a value of the given configuration parameter is affected by a value specified for another configuration parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the number of function blocks comprise one or more analog function blocks, one or more digital function blocks, or one or more digital and one or more analog function blocks.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the generating a graphical user interface comprises generating a function specific graphical user interface based on a function the processor of the computing device configures the number of function blocks to perform.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the configuring at least one of the number of function blocks to perform the determined function comprises configuring the number of function blocks to perform as a driver circuit for a light emitting element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the light emitting element comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs), seven segmented LEDs, triads of high brightness colored LEDs or a liquid crystal display (LCD).

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the configuration parameters comprise one or more of a color temperature of the light emitting element, a brightness of the light emitting element, and a chromaticity of the light emitting element.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the graphical user interface comprises presenting a display window including a selectable or editable graphical field for specification of at least one of the configuration parameters.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the graphical user interface comprises presenting a display window including a selectable or editable alphanumeric field for specification of at least one of the configuration parameters.

17. A method of configuring a target system comprising:

determining a function to be performed by a number of function blocks of a programmable integrated circuit in the target system to be configured;

generating a graphical user interface for specifying one or more configuration parameters of the number of function blocks to perform the determined function; and

configuring the target system to perform the determined function based on a value of at least one of the one or more configuration parameters specified through the graphical user interface,

wherein the generating a graphical user interface comprises presenting a design window including a representation of the determined function, and presenting a configuration window including the one or more configuration parameters of the number of function blocks in an editable format.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the number of function blocks comprise one or more analog function blocks, one or more digital function blocks, or one or more digital and one or more analog function blocks.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the configuring the target system to perform the determined function comprises configuring the number of function blocks to perform as a driver circuit for a light emitting element.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the light emitting element comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs), seven segmented LEDs, triads of high brightness colored LEDs or a liquid crystal display (LCD).