Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (“IC”). The configurable IC includes a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a set of functions. The configurable IC also includes a set of configurable routing circuits for routing signals to and from the configurable circuits. During several operational cycles of the configurable IC, a set of data registers are defined by the configurable routing circuits. These data registers may be used wherever a flip-flop can be used.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable IC that includes several sections. Each section includes several configurable circuits, each of which configurably performs a set of operations. Each section stores multiple configuration data sets for each configurable circuit. Each configuration data set for a particular configurable circuit specifies the operation that the particular configurable circuit has to perform from the circuit's set of operations, where the configurable circuits of at least two different sections change configuration data sets at two different reconfiguration rates.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (“IC”). The configurable IC includes a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a set of functions on a set of inputs. The IC also includes several input select interconnect circuits for selecting the input set supplied to each configurable logic circuit. Each input select interconnect circuit is associated with a particular configurable logic circuit. When a configurable logic circuit is used to perform a multiplication operation, at least one of its associated input select interconnect circuits performs a logic operation that implements part of the multiplication operation.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an integrated circuit (IC) with a delay select input selection circuit. The delay select input selection circuit comprises a first input selection circuit, a first storage element, a second storage element, and a first input line branching into multiple input lines. The multiple input lines include at least a second, third, and fourth input line. The second input line is communicably connected to a first input of the first input selection circuit. The third input line enters the first storage element. The fourth input line enters the second storage element. An output from the first storage element is communicably connected to a second input of the first input selection circuit. An output from the second storage element is communicably connected to a third input of the first input selection circuit.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable logic circuits, where the logic circuits include several sets of associated configurable logic circuits. For each several sets of associated configurable logic circuits, the reconfigurable IC also includes a carry circuit for performing up to N carry operations sequentially, wherein N is greater than two.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) that includes several configurable circuits grouped in several tiles. The configurable IC also includes a configuration network for loading configuration data into the IC, where the configuration data is for configuring several of the configurable circuit. In some embodiments, the configuration network includes several registers at several boundaries between the tiles, where the registers allow multiple configuration data sets to be routed to multiple tiles concurrently. The configuration network in some embodiments includes several address counters at several tiles, where each address counter allows one address to be loaded for a tile and then to be successively incremented based on increment instructions sent over the configuration network. At least, two different addresses specified by an address counter of a particular tile identify two different resources within the particular tile.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) that has several configurable circuits for configurably performing different operations. During the operation of the IC, each particular configurable circuit performs a particular operation that is specified by a particular configuration data set for the particular configurable circuit. While the IC operates and a first set of configurable circuits performs a first set of operations, configuration data is loaded from the outside of the IC for configuring a second set of configurable circuits. In some embodiments, the configurable IC includes a configuration network for rapid loading configuration data in the IC from outside of the IC. In some of these embodiments, the configuration network is a pipelined network.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of presenting virtual memory as narrower and deeper than a physical memory. The method receives a memory address location including a set of real memory address bits and a set of virtual memory position bits. The method retrieves an original memory word from a physical memory using the real memory address bits. The method shifts the original memory word by an amount determined by the virtual memory position bits by using a barrel shifter, creating a shifted memory word. The method reads a part of the shifted memory word.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable integrated circuit (“IC”). This IC has several reconfigurable circuits, each having several configurations for several configuration cycles. The reconfigurable circuits include several time-extending reconfigurable circuits. During the operation of the IC, each particular time-extending reconfigurable circuit maintains at least one of its configurations over at least two contiguous cycles, in order to allow a signal to propagate through a signal path, which contains the particular time-extending circuit, within a desired amount of time. Some embodiments provide a method of designing a reconfigurable IC that has several reconfigurable circuits, each having several configurations and operating in several reconfiguration cycles. The method identifies a signal path through the IC that does not meet a timing constraint. The signal path includes several circuits, one of which is a particular reconfigurable circuit.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (“IC”). The configurable IC includes a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a set of functions. The configurable IC also includes a set of configurable routing circuits for routing signals to and from the configurable circuits. During several operational cycles of the configurable IC, a set of data registers are defined by the configurable routing circuits. These data registers may be used wherever a flip-flop can be used.

Abstract: A configurable integrated circuit (IC) performs error detection and correction on configuration data. The IC includes a configuration memory for storing configuration data, an error detection circuitry for detecting an error and a circuit that outputs from the IC an uncorrectable error signal indicating the detection of an error. The configurable IC has a circuit inside of the IC that causes the IC to reset when the error circuitry detects an uncorrectable error. In another embodiment, the circuit that causes the IC to reset is located outside of the IC.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable IC that includes several sections. Each section includes several configurable circuits, each of which configurably performs a set of operations. Each section stores multiple configuration data sets for each configurable circuit. Each configuration data set for a particular configurable circuit specifies the operation that the particular configurable circuit has to perform from the circuit's set of operations, where the configurable circuits of at least two different sections change configuration data sets at two different reconfiguration rates.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable computational tiles and several memory tiles. Each computational tile has a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a plurality of computations and a set of configurable routing circuits. The routing circuits of the tiles configurably route signals between configurable logic circuits. Each memory tiles includes a set of routing circuits and a memory array for storing data on which the logic circuit perform computation. In this IC, at least a first memory tile has the same set of configurable routing circuits as at least a second computational tile.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an integrated circuit (IC) with a delay select input selection circuit. The delay select input selection circuit comprises a first input selection circuit, a first storage element, a second storage element, and a first input line branching into multiple input lines. The multiple input lines include at least a second, third, and fourth input line. The second input line is communicably connected to a first input of the first input selection circuit. The third input line enters the first storage element. The fourth input line enters the second storage element. An output from the first storage element is communicably connected to a second input of the first input selection circuit. An output from the second storage element is communicably connected to a third input of the first input selection circuit.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a circuit for accessing stored data in a configurable IC that includes several configurable circuits. The IC also includes several storage circuits. Each storage circuit has (1) several storage elements for storing data for the configurable circuits, and (2) output circuitry for outputting data stored in the storage elements. The output circuitry includes a first set of interconnects for receiving at least a first repeating periodic signal and for periodically outputting data from at least two storage elements to the configurable circuits.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC has configurable logic circuits for performing logical operations, configurable routing circuits for routing signals between the configurable logic circuits, and a network for monitoring data. In some embodiments a method uses at least a subset of the configurable logic circuits and a first subset of the configurable routing circuits to implement a user design circuit on the configurable IC. The method uses a second subset of the configurable routing circuits to pass signals to the network.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable integrated circuit (“IC”). This IC has several reconfigurable circuits, each having several configurations for several configuration cycles. The reconfigurable circuits include several time-extending reconfigurable circuits. During the operation of the IC, each particular time-extending reconfigurable circuit maintains at least one of its configurations over at least two contiguous cycles, in order to allow a signal to propagate through a signal path, which contains the particular time-extending circuit, within a desired amount of time.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable tiles. The configurable tiles include several interior tiles within the interior of an arrangement of configurable tiles. The arrangement has several sides that define the exterior boundary of the arrangement. Each configurable interior tile includes a set of configurable logic circuits and a set of configurable routing interconnect circuits for routing signals between the configurable logic circuits. The set of configurable routing interconnect circuits in each interior tile has a set of inputs that are supplied by a set of asymmetric locations in the configurable IC. Any distance between any routing circuit in any interior tile and any boundary-defining side of the tile arrangement is greater than any distance between any particular routing circuit in any interior tile and any circuit that provides an input of the particular routing circuit.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a circuit for accessing stored data in a configurable IC that includes several configurable circuits. The IC also includes several storage circuits. Each storage circuit has (1) several storage elements for storing data for the configurable circuits, and (2) output circuitry for outputting data stored in the storage elements. The output circuitry includes a first set of interconnects for receiving at least a first repeating periodic signal and for periodically outputting data from at least two storage elements to the configurable circuits.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable computational tiles and several memory tiles. These tiles are arranged in a particular tile arrangement. Each computational tile has a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a plurality of computations and a set of configurable routing circuits. The routing circuits of the tiles configurably route signals between configurable logic circuits. The configurable IC also has several memory arrays for storing data on which the logic circuit perform computation. The memory arrays are embedded in the tile arrangement between two sets of memory tiles, where each set of memory tiles includes a set of routing circuits. In this IC, at least a first memory tile has the same set of configurable routing circuits as at least a second computational tile.