Programmable microcontroller architecture (mixed analog/digital)
US6724220B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 7, 2001 |
| Grant date | Apr 20, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 7, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/17748
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microcontroller with a mixed analog/digital architecture including multiple digital programmable blocks and multiple analog programmable blocks in a communication array having a programmable interconnect structure. The single chip design is implemented by integration of programmable digital and analog circuit blocks that are able to communicate with each other. Robust analog and digital blocks that are flash memory programmable can be utilized to realize complex design applications that otherwise would require multiple chips and/or separate applications. The programmable chip architecture includes a novel array having programmable digital blocks that can communicate with programmable analog blocks using a programmable interconnect structure. The programmable analog array contains a complement of Continuous Time (CT) blocks and a complement of Switched Capacitor (SC) blocks that can communicate together. The analog blocks consist of multi-function circuits programmable for one or more different analog functions, and fixed function circuits programmable for a fixed function with variable parameters. The digital blocks include standard multi-function circuits and enhanced circuits h…
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