Patent · US Expired

Programmable logic device with hierarchical interconnection resources

US6300794A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
46References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 20, 2000
Grant dateOct 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 20, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/17728
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A programmable logic device has a plurality of super-regions of programmable logic disposed on the device in a two-dimensional array of intersecting rows and columns of super-regions. Horizontal and vertical inter-super-region interconnection conductors are associated with each row and column, respectively. Each super-region includes a plurality of regions of programmable logic, and each region includes a plurality of subregions of programmable logic. Inter-region interconnection conductors are associated with each super-region, principally for bringing signals into the super-region and interconnecting the regions in the super-region. Local conductors are associated with each region, principally for bringing signals into the region. At the super-region level the device may be horizontally and vertically isomorphic, which helps make it possible to produce devices with low aspect ratios of one or nearly one. Shared driver circuits may be provided (e.g., for (1) receiving signals from the subregions and the horizontal and/or vertical conductors, and (2) applying selected received signals to the inter-region conductors, the horizontal and vertical conductors, and possibly also the loca…

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