Patents Represented by Attorney W. Eric Webostad
  • Patent number: 7834658
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for communication of data is described. More particularly, generation of an interface for coupling to an auxiliary processor unit for communication of data in an integrated circuit is described. Programmable logic is programmed to provide a hardware interface for communicating the data between memory and a user-defined circuit. The data is communicated at least in part via an auxiliary processor unit coupled to the hardware interface. The programming includes configuring the programmable logic to use the auxiliary processor unit to respond to coded instructions executed by a central processing unit through the provided hardware interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Neuendorffer, Paul M. Hartke, Paul R. Schumacher
  • Patent number: 7831801
    Abstract: A direct memory access (“DMA”)-based multi-processor array architecture that may be implemented in a single integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of processing units. A first processing unit and a second processing unit of the plurality of processing units are topologically coupled via a first DMA block. The first DMA block includes a first dual-ported random access memory and a first decoder. A multiple-processor array is provided by topologically coupling the first processing unit and the second processing unit via the first direct memory access block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: James Bryan Anderson
  • Patent number: 7822886
    Abstract: Dataflow control for an application with timing parameters, including interfacing temporal and non-temporal domains, is described. The domains receive input data to a first dataflow network block, which is processed for untimed output of first tokens. The first tokens are obtained by a memory interface for timed writing of data portions of the first tokens to data storage and for timed reading of the data portions therefrom. Sending of the data portions read to a first queue of a first controller block is untimed, and the data portions are output by the first controller block with physical timing parameters. Second tokens are generated by the first controller block responsive to the physical timing parameters. The second tokens are fed back to a second queue of the first dataflow network block to control rate of generation of the first tokens by the first dataflow network block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian D. Miller, Jorn W. Janneck, David B. Parlour
  • Patent number: 7813262
    Abstract: Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“MIMO-OFDM”) modulation is described. An integrated circuit has blocks of memory of a fixed size. A physical layer block is configured for MIMO-OFDM. The physical layer block is a single MIMO-OFDM block for supporting transmitting via a plurality of antennas. The physical layer block includes buffers configured for storing sets of symbols at a time for transmitting via the plurality of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Raghavendar Mysore Rao
  • Patent number: 7810010
    Abstract: A Turbo Code decoder for implementation in an integrated circuit is described. An add-compare select (“ACS”) unit is configured to provide a difference between first and second outputs and to select one of the first and second outputs responsive to a difference thereof. An initialization stage is coupled to receive and configured to store for example the first output selected as an initialization value. A second select stage is coupled to receive for example the first output selected from the first select stage and coupled to obtain the initialization value stored from the initialization stage. The second select stage is configured to output either the first output selected from the ACS unit or the initialization value from the initialization stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: David I. Lawrie
  • Patent number: 7805593
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for performance monitoring is described. Instances of performance monitors are loaded into configurable resources. The performance monitors are coupled to a processor via an auxiliary processor unit or a debug port to obtain processor pipeline execution status. Real-time threads or processes are loaded into memory for execution by the processor. The performance monitors are used to monitor the execution status of the real-time threads or processes executed by the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Adam P. Donlin
  • Patent number: 7788470
    Abstract: A method and controller for supporting out of order execution of instructions is described. A microprocessor is coupled to a coprocessor via a controller. Instructions are received by the microprocessor and the controller. Indices respectively associated with the instructions are generated by the microprocessor, and the instructions are popped from the first queue for execution by the coprocessor. The controller includes a first queue and a second queue. The instructions and the indices are queued in the first queue, and this first queuing includes steering the instructions and the indices associated therewith to respective first register locations while maintaining association between the instructions and the indices. The instructions may be popped off the first queue out of order with respect to an order in which the instructions are received into the first queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Kathryn S. Purcell, Ahmad R. Ansari, Gaurav Gupta
  • Patent number: 7768293
    Abstract: A system for authentication of information provided to an integrated circuit, a method for rights management of an integrated circuit, and a method for configuring a programmable logic device are described. A memory is coupled to a programmable logic device. The memory includes an array of memory cells and storage devices. The storage devices provide a first storage space and a second storage space. The first storage space is for storing a first identifier. The second storage space is for storing a second identifier, which is a transformation of the first identifier. The array of memory cells is for storing configuration information to configure programmable logic of the programmable logic device. The configuration information includes authentication logic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven K. Knapp
  • Patent number: 7759801
    Abstract: A first wire having sidewalls of an integrated circuit is tapered from the proximal end to the distal end to reduce width from the first width to the second width. A second wire, spaced apart from the first wire, the second wire has sidewalls. The first wire and the second wire are each horizontally disposed along side each other forming a part of a sidewall capacitor between facing sidewalls. The sidewall capacitor capacitance is progressively reduced responsive to the first wire taper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Austin H. Lesea, Peter H. Alfke
  • Patent number: 7760538
    Abstract: A non-volatile static random access memory (“SRAM”) cell using variable resistance random access memory (“RAM”) cells is described. A memory tri-cell includes an SRAM cell with a first charge node and a second charge node. A first variable resistance random access memory cell is coupled between the first charge node and a supply voltage bus. A second variable resistance random access memory cell is coupled between the first charge node and a ground bus. A first control gate is coupled between the supply voltage bus and the first variable resistance random access memory cell. A second control gate is coupled between the ground bus and the second variable resistance random access memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Sunhom Paak
  • Patent number: 7761729
    Abstract: Delay compensation is described. A clock signal used to generate a transmit clock is obtained. Clock cycles are counted to provide-a count signal associated with external device latency. The count signal is captured responsive to the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Chandrasekaran N. Gupta, Dean C. Moss
  • Patent number: 7761643
    Abstract: A media access controller system embedded in an integrated circuit is described. A platform dependent bridge for communicating with a first processor, where the platform dependent bridge is associated with a platform of the first processor and where the first processor is embedded in an integrated circuit. Host interface circuitry is coupled to the platform dependent bridge and is configured to provide a processor interface, where the processor interface is for communicating with the first processor via the platform dependent bridge and where the processor interface has a platform independent bus for communication with a second processor. At least one media access controller is coupled to the host interface circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Yin, Hamish T. Fallside, Richard P. Burnley, Nicholas McKay, Martin B. Rhodes, Douglas M. Grant, Stuart A. Nisbet, Gareth D. Edwards
  • Patent number: 7746660
    Abstract: Reduced mounting inductance and/or an increased self-resonant frequency range of operation for capacitor circuits of a circuit board is described. The circuit board has a mounting pad for coupling a capacitor to at least three vias arranged in a pattern and coupled to the mounting pad at least three discrete locations to reduce mounting pad inductance. Alternatively or additionally, top and bottom mounted capacitors to the circuit board have a physically and electrically common through via to provide a self-resonant frequency range of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony T. Duong
  • Patent number: 7739305
    Abstract: A network appliance, and a system and user interface therefor, are described. The network appliance includes a file capture module is to obtain files transmitted via a network and to load data from the files into a database. A user interface for communicating with the server includes a first set of fields and a second set of fields. The first set of fields are for selecting data from the database and the second set of fields are for selecting indices for charting the data selected with the first set of fields. A data processing module is configured to retrieve data from the database responsive to the data selected with the first set of fields, to chart the data retrieved responsive to the indices selected with the second set of fields, and to output a graph of the data charted to a server having access to the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Lanseng Ling, Michael Leonard Simmons, Noel John Manicle, Andrew John Flynn
  • Patent number: 7739564
    Abstract: Testing an integrated circuit using dedicated function pins in a non-dedicated function test mode is described. In a first mode, a circuit block is activated for processing first information provided via dedicated function pins. In a second mode, the circuit block is deactivated. Control logic is coupled to receive state information from a state storing device and coupled to receive the first information and second information from the dedicated function pins. The control logic is configured to gate the second information for passage to programmable logic responsive to the state information being for the second mode. The control logic is configured to gate the first information to preclude passage to the programmable logic responsive to the state information being for the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Wing-Leung Lai, Tuyet Ngoc Simmons
  • Patent number: 7737725
    Abstract: A device control register controller for a processor block Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) core is described. Device control register slave blocks are coupled to the device control register controller and have access to device registers for a plurality of interfaces of the processor block ASIC core. A master device interface is for coupling at least one slave device external to the processor block ASIC core to the device control register controller. A slave device interface is for coupling a master device external to the processor block ASIC core to the device control register controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad R. Ansari, Kam-Wing Li
  • Patent number: 7733075
    Abstract: A voltage regulator for supplying power to volatile memory cells during a suspend mode of an integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit in an awake mode generates a regulated voltage at an output node using a first supply voltage and in the suspend mode generates the regulated voltage at the output node using a second supply voltage, at less voltage than the first supply voltage. The second supply voltage is electrically decoupled from the output node for transitioning from the suspend mode to the awake mode, and the first supply voltage is electrically decoupled from the output node for transitioning from the awake mode to the suspend mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: XILINX, Inc.
    Inventor: Narasimhan Vasudevan
  • Patent number: 7729415
    Abstract: A high-speed interface for implementation in a programmable device such as, e.g., a programmable logic device (“PLD”) is described. Multi-gigabit transceivers of the PLD provide transmit and receive lock signals and have inputs for reference transmit and receive clock signals. One of the multi-gigabit transceivers provides a first transmit clock signal, a first receive clock signal, and a second receive clock signal. A data rate converter fractionally multiplies a second transmit clock signal to provide the reference transmit clock signal. A skew synchronization block obtains respective transmit and receive lock signals from the multi-gigabit transceivers and provides respective receive and transmit synch adjustment signals to the multi-gigabit transceivers. Synchronous operation of the multi-gigabit transceivers in receive and transmit directions is adjusted with receive and transmit synch adjustment signals to maintain lane-to-lane skew for the high-speed interface within a target range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Possley
  • Patent number: 7730244
    Abstract: Command translation of burst commands is described. A slave processor local bus (“PLB”) bridge, part of a processor block core embedded in a host IC, has a data size threshold to allow access to a crossbar switch device. A master device, coupled to the slave PLB bridge, has any of a plurality of command bus widths. A burst command is issued via a command bus, having a command bus width of the plurality, from the master device for the slave PLB bridge. The burst command is converted to a native bus width of the slave processor logic block if the command bus width is not equal to the native bus width. The burst command is translated if execution of the burst command will exceed the data size threshold and passed without the translating if the execution of the burst command will not exceed the data size threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: XILINX, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad R. Ansari, Jeffery H. Appelbaum, Kam-Wing Li, James J. Murray
  • Patent number: 7725868
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for facilitating signal routing within a programmable logic device having routing resources is described. In an example, the routing resources are formed into groups where, for each of the groups, the routing resources are of a same type. Pairs of the groups are related by an association of at least one routing resource in one group of a pair of groups capable of being electrically connected to at least one other routing resource in another group of the pair of groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Vinay Verma, Anirban Rahut, Sudip K. Nag, Jason H. Anderson, Rajeev Jayaraman