Field-programmable electronic crossbar system and method for using same
US5530813A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 4, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jun 25, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4022
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Method and apparatus for using a field-programmable gate-array circuit as a crossbar switch. In order to connect a first port of the crossbar switch to a second port, an address within the field-programmable gate-array circuit is calculated, and a first data pattern to load at that address is determined. A second data pattern to load at that address is determined in order to disconnect the first port from the second port. The first port is then connected to the second port by loading the first data pattern at the calculated address in the field-programmable gate-array circuit. Subsequently the first port is disconnected from the second port by loading the second data pattern at the calculated address in the field-programmable gate-array circuit. Mechanisms are provided for analog or digital ports, for multiple-bit digital ports, for combinations of logical functions with the crossbar-switch functions, and for latching the data within the crossbar switch. In one embodiment, the crossbar switch is incrementally reconfigurable wherein ports not involved in the reconfiguration are not affected by the reconfiguration operation. Applications to machine vision systems are described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.