This invention discloses a customizable logic array including an array of programmable cells having a multiplicity of inputs and a multiplicity of outputs; and customized interconnections providing permanent direct interconnections among at least a plurality of the multiplicity of inputs and at least a plurality of the multiplicity of outputs.

Customizable and programmable cell array

The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations. The various fixed architectures are selected to comparatively minimize power consumption and increase performance of the adaptive computing integrated circuit, particularly suitable for mobile, hand-held or other battery-powered computing applications.

Adaptive integrated circuitry with heterogeneous and reconfigurable matrices of diverse and adaptive computational units having fixed, application specific computational elements

A programmable logic integrated circuit device (“PLD”) includes programmable logic and a dedicated (i.e., at least partly hard-wired) digital signal processing region for performing or at least helping to perform digital signal processing tasks that are unduly inefficient to implement in the more general-purpose programmable logic and/or that, if implemented in the programmable logic, would operate unacceptably or at least undesirably slowly. The digital signal processing region may include multiple digital signal processing stages. The digital signal processing region may include a multiplier stage and one ore more stages that can operate in combination with the multiplier stage. The digital signal processing region has a plurality of modes such as for providing multiply-and-accumulate operation, multiply-and-add operation, etc.

Devices and methods with programmable logic and digital signal processing regions

In a data-processing method, first result data may be obtained using a plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be written into a memory that includes spatially separate first and second memory areas and that is connected via a bus to the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be subsequently read out from the memory, and the first result data may be subsequently processed using the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements. In a first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a write memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a read memory. Subsequent to writing to and reading from the memory in accordance with the first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a read memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a write memory.

Process for automatic dynamic reloading of data flow processors (dfps) and units with two-or-three-dimensional programmable cell architectures (fpgas, dpgas, and the like)

A data processing device comprising a multidimensional array of coarse grained logic elements processing data and operating at a first clock rate and communicating with one another and/or other elements via busses and/or communication lines operated at a second clock rate is disclosed, wherein the first clock rate is higher than the second and wherein the coarse grained logic elements comprise storage means for storing data needed to be processed.

Data processing device and method

The invention relates to a reconfigurable device comprising a plurality of processing devices, a connection matrix providing an interconnect between the processing devices, and means to define the configuration of the connection matrix. Each of the processing devices comprises an arithmetic logic unit, which is adapted to perform a function on input operands and produce an output. The input operands are provided as inputs to the arithmetic logic unit from the interconnect on the same route in each cycle. Dynamic instructions are enabled by means provided to route the output of a first one of the processing devices to a second one of the processing devices to determine the function performed by the second one of the processing devices.

Reconfigurable processor devices

Implementation of multipliers in an FPGA or similar device containing an array or other aggregation of small processor devices is a significant difficulty, leading to increased cost as a result of the silicon area consumed thereby. There is thus provided a method of multiplying a first number by a second number by use of an array of processing devices, each of said processing devices having a plurality of data inputs, a plurality of data outputs, and an instruction input for control of the function of the processing device, wherein said processing devices and an input for the first number and an input for the second number are interconnected by a freely configurable interconnect, and wherein each processing device calculates a partial product for multiplication of one or more bits of the first number with one or more bits of the second number, and for each processing device: the value received at the instruction input is determined by one or more bits of the first number; data inputs are provided by m bits of the second number, and, if appropriate, a carry input to add a carry from a less significant partial product and/or a summation input to sum all the partial products of the same significance; data outputs are provided as a summation output containing the least significant m bits of the partial product and a carry output containing any more significant bits of the partial product.

Implementation of multipliers in programmable arrays

An integrated circuit has a field programmable circuit region arranged as a generally rectangular array of rows and columns of circuit areas. Some of the circuit areas each provide a respective processing unit for performing operations on data on at least one respective input signal path to provide data on at least one respective output signal path. Others of the circuit areas each provide a respective switching section; and the processing units and the switching sections are arranged alternately in each row and in each column. Each of a substantial proportion of the switching sections provides a programmable connection between at least some of the signal paths of those of the processing units adjacent that switching section in the same column and in the same row. A dense layout can be obtained with efficient local interconnections, especially in the case where one or more of the processing units has a plural-bit input and/or a plural-bit output, and at least some of the signal paths are provided by respective plural-bit busses.

Field programmable processor arrays

A field programmable device comprising an array of processing devices, a connection matrix interconnecting the processing devices and including switches, and memory cells for storing data for controlling the switches to define the configuration of the interconnections of the connection matrix. In order to provide flexible use of memory and to enable higher memory densities, gates are provided which can be used to isolate the effect of the data stored in groups of the memory cells and switches on the configuration of the interconnections so that the memory cells in that group are available for storing other data.

Jean Vuillemin

Papers

Reconfigurable processor devices

Implementation of multipliers in programmable arrays

Field programmable processor arrays

Field programmable processor devices

Configurable processing device and method of using said device to construct a central processing unit