Autonomous control in a programmable system

• US 9,448,964 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Sullam, Bert, Kutz, Harold, Mar, Monte, Thiagaragen, Eashwar, Williams, Timothy, Wright, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Razu A
• Application Number:
  US12/765,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 370/235, 705/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25257 Microcontroller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/0342 QAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A programmable system includes a programmable analog system that is reconfigurable to perform various analog operations, and includes a programmable digital system that is reconfigurable to perform various digital operations. The programmable system also includes a microcontroller capable of reconfiguring and controlling the programmable analog system and the programmable digital system. The programmable digital system is configured to control the programmable analog system autonomously of the microcontroller.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a programmable analog system that is reconfigurable to perform a plurality of analog operations, wherein the programmable analog system includes a plurality of analog circuits that are reconfigurable to perform the plurality of analog operations;

a programmable digital system that is reconfigurable to perform a plurality of digital operations, wherein the programmable digital system includes one or more digital circuits that are reconfigurable to perform the plurality of digital operations; and

a microcontroller capable of reconfiguring and controlling the programmable analog system and the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to control the programmable analog system autonomously of the microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to reconfigure the one or more digital circuits in the programmable digital system to implement a digital controller.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a system interconnect controlled by the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct reconfiguration of the programmable analog system and control the programmable analog system over the system interconnect.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital controller is configured to direct the reconfiguration of the analog circuits in the programmable analog system and direct a reconfiguration of other digital circuits in the programmable digital system.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a memory device to store configuration data that, when provided to the programmable digital system, causes the programmable digital system to reconfigure the one or more digital circuits to implement the digital controller.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a direct memory access engine to retrieve the configuration data from the memory device when the system is initially booted and send the configuration data to the programmable digital system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct the programmable analog system and programmable digital system to implement at least one mixed-signal application autonomously of the microcontroller.

7. A system comprising:

a programmable analog system including one or more analog circuits that are reconfigurable to perform analog data operations;

a programmable digital system including one or more universal digital block devices that are reconfigurable to perform digital data operations, wherein at least one of the universal digital block devices is reconfigured based, at least in part, on configuration data to implement a digital control device that controls the programmable analog system; and

a direct memory access engine to retrieve the configuration data from a memory device when the system is initially booted and send the configuration data to the programmable digital system, wherein the memory device is configured to store the configuration data which, when provided to the programmable digital system, causes the programmable digital system to reconfigure at least one of the universal digital block devices to implement the digital control device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital control device is configured to direct the reconfiguration of the analog circuits in the programmable analog device and configured to control the analog data operations performed by the reconfigured analog circuits in the programmable analog system.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a microcontroller capable of controlling the programmable analog system and the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct the reconfiguration of the analog circuits and control the analog data operations performed by the programmable analog system independently of the microcontroller.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a system interconnect controlled by the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct reconfiguration of the programmable analog system and control the programmable analog system over the system interconnect.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the programmable analog system is configured to control the programmable digital system autonomously of a microcontroller.

12. A system comprising:

a programmable analog system that is reconfigurable to perform a plurality of analog operations;

a programmable digital system that is reconfigurable to perform a plurality of digital operations;

a microcontroller capable of reconfiguring and controlling the programmable analog system and the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to control the programmable analog system autonomously of the microcontroller, wherein one or more digital circuits in the programmable digital system are configured to implement a digital controller, and wherein the digital controller is configured to direct a reconfiguration of analog circuits in the programmable analog system; and

a memory device to store configuration data which, when provided to the programmable digital system, causes the programmable digital system to reconfigure the one or more digital circuits to implement the digital controller.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a system interconnect controlled by the programmable digital system, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct reconfiguration of the programmable analog system and control the programmable analog system over the system interconnect.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the digital controller is configured to direct reconfiguration of other digital circuits in the programmable digital system.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a direct memory access engine to retrieve the configuration data from the memory device when the system is initially booted and send the configuration data to the programmable digital system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the programmable digital system is configured to direct the programmable analog system and programmable digital system to implement at least one mixed-signal application autonomously of the microcontroller.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller is configured to reconfigure one or more digital circuits in the programmable digital system to implement a digital controller.