Patent · US Expired

FPGA configurable logic block with multi-purpose logic/memory circuit

US6208163A · kind A · utility

65Cited by
6References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 15, 1999
Grant dateMar 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 15, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/17792
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A logic/memory circuit (LMC) utilized in a configurable logic block (CLB) of a programmable logic device (PLD) that implements an eight-input lookup table (LUT) using an array of programmable elements arranged in rows and columns. A decoder is used to read bit values from one column (e.g., sixteen programmable elements) of the array. In one embodiment, a separate read bit line is provided to facilitate faster read operations. A sixteen-to-one multiplexer/demultiplexer circuit is used to pass selected bit values to an output terminal. The array of programmable elements is programmable both from configuration lines during a configuration mode, and by data transmitted on the interconnect resources through the multiplexer/demultiplexer circuit. In one embodiment, the programmable elements of the array are connected in pairs to product term generation circuitry, and input signals to the array are routed onto bit lines that are also connected to the product term generation circuitry. Product terms generated by the product term circuitry are passed to a macrocell circuit to perform programmable array logic (PAL) logic operations.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.