Patent · US Expired

Method and system for use of an embedded field programmable gate array interconnect for flexible I/O connectivity

US6806730B2 · kind B2 · utility

128Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 2001
Grant dateOct 19, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 10, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/7867
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is disclosed. The ASIC comprises a standard cell, the standard cell including a plurality of logic functions. The ASIC further includes at least one FPGA interconnect coupled to at least a portion of the logic functions. The FPGA interconnect can be configured to select a particular logic function of the plurality of logic functions. An ASIC in accordance with the present invention allows “field selection” of functions that are connected to the internal bus(es) and to external I/O. In addition, functional block connections made with internal buses can be significantly wider and faster than buses brought on chip via external chip I/Os. Further, the ASIC reduces cost because selective bus connections can be made internal to the chip, thus eliminating the need for external pins. Finally, the ASIC reduces the cost of the packaged component by allowing the chip to be packaged in a lower pin count package.

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