Method and system for use of a field programmable function within an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to access internal signals for external observation and control

US7047464B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Robert Thomas Bailis · Cary, US
• Charles Edward Kuhlmann · Raleigh, US
• Charles S. Lingafelt · Durham, US
• Ann Marie Rincon · Burlington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 10, 2001
• Grant date: May 16, 2006
• Expiry date: Feb 9, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/318519
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is disclosed. The ASIC includes a standard cell. The standard cell includes a plurality of logic functions. The ASIC also includes at least one bus coupled to at least a portion of the logic functions and a plurality of internal signals from the plurality of logic functions. Finally, the ASIC includes a field programmable (FP) function coupled to the at least one bus and at least a portion of the plurality of internal signals. The FP function provides access to internal signals for observation and control. An ASIC using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) function within a standard cell design is utilized to create an internal-to-the-ASIC bridging of internal signals to observe and control of the internal signals of the ASIC. By the placement of logic, which expresses a test program, into the FPGA function that manipulates the I/O pins and/or other functional entities of interest, the ASIC function and/or surrounding logic can be easily verified. In addition, through this system, internal and/or system (external-to-the-ASIC) conditions can be observed. Furthermore, a sequence of resets to different functional blocks can be execut…