Patents Represented by Attorney Murray Smith
  • Patent number: 8350590
    Abstract: A technique is provided that involves: configuring a clock generation circuit to output a first signal having a first frequency that is one of a plurality of frequencies that are different; generating in a clock section of a further circuit as a function of the first signal a second signal having a second frequency that is one of the plurality of frequencies other than the first frequency; and configuring the clock section to supply to the further circuit a clock signal that is one of the first and second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Schuyler E. Shimanek, Wayne E. Wennekamp, Charles D. Laverty, Roger D. Flateau, Jr., John O'Dwyer
  • Patent number: 8307182
    Abstract: An embodiment of a technique to transfer data includes: operating a memory interface using memory access cycles that each include T successive time slots each provided for transfer of B bits of data, where T and B are positive integers; selecting one of first or second predetermined integers as one of T or B; and transferring a quantity of data Q between the memory interface and another interface. The transferring includes: automatically determining a value of M memory access cycles as a function of the one of T or B; causing a data transfer sequence on the memory interface that includes M successive memory access cycles and thus M·T time slots; automatically determining a subset of the M·T time slots as a function of the one of T or B; and transferring the quantity of data Q through the memory interface during the subset of time slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger D. Flateau, Jr., Thomas H. Strader, Adam Elkins, Wayne E. Wennekamp, Schuyler E. Shimanek
  • Patent number: 8239590
    Abstract: An embodiment of a technique to transfer data between two different interfaces is disclosed. The embodiment of the technique includes: manipulating data arriving at a first data interface with a first word width into data with a second word width; transferring the manipulated data to a second data interface having the second word width; and selecting one of a plurality of different word widths for one of the first or second word widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne E. Wennekamp, Adam Elkins, Schuyler E. Shimanek, Steven E. McNeil
  • Patent number: 8239604
    Abstract: Some embodiments involve a circuit having first and second interfaces, and configurable structure to identify a selected integer number that is one of a plurality of different integer numbers associated with respective different configurations. In one embodiment, a conversion section organizes lines of the second interface into line groups equal in number to the selected integer number, and carries out a conversion operation in which it supplies to each line group a respective incoming data segment received through the first interface. In another embodiment, a conversion section organizes the lines of the first interface into line groups equal in number to the selected integer number, and carries out a conversion operation in which it supplies to the second interface a respective incoming data segment from each line group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Schuyler E. Shimanek, Joe E. Leyba, Wayne E. Wennekamp
  • Patent number: 8222923
    Abstract: A technique is provided for memory control in a device having programmable circuitry, including providing a dedicated memory controller circuit in the device before the programmable circuitry is field programmed. Another technique involves fabricating a device, where the fabricating involves forming programmable circuitry that includes a dedicated memory controller circuit before the circuitry is field programmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Schuyler E. Shimanek, Wayne E. Wennekamp, Joe E. Leyba, Adam Elkins, Thomas H. Strader, Chidamber R. Kulkarni, Mikhail A. Wolf, Steven E. McNeil
  • Patent number: 8200874
    Abstract: A device has first circuitry and also second circuitry that includes an interface and command ports that can each receive commands from the first circuitry, each command requesting an information transfer through the interface. A technique relating to the device involves dynamically enabling and disabling at least one of the command ports under control of the first circuitry, and using a priority list specifying an order of priority for a group of the command ports to identify and cause a command to be accepted from the command port of highest priority that contains a command and is currently enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne E. Wennekamp, Adam Elkins, Schuyler E. Shimanek, Thomas H. Strader, Steven E. McNeil
  • Patent number: 8079002
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention involves: providing a database that includes layout information representing a layout within an integrated circuit of an electrical circuit; identifying from the information in the database each conductive path of a selected type in the electrical circuit; extracting layout information from the database for each conductive path of the selected type; and calculating an electrical parameter for each conductive path of the selected type, as a function of the layout information obtained for that conductive path during the extracting. In addition, in a different configuration of the embodiment, a report can be generated containing information based on the electrical parameter calculated during the calculating for at least one of the conductive paths of the selected type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuok-Khian Lo, Mark B. Roberts, Mohammed Fakhruddin, James Karp, Richard P. Burnley, Min-Hsing Chen
  • Patent number: 8063660
    Abstract: A technique is applicable to a device having programmable circuitry that includes a first interface having a plurality of first address terminals, a second interface having a plurality of second address terminals, and a configurable interconnect structure coupled between the first and second interfaces. The technique includes configuring the interconnect structure during field programming to electrically couple each of the address terminals in a first subset of the first address terminals to respective address terminals in a second subset of the second address terminals according to a selected one of a plurality of different mapping functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Strader, Roger D. Flateau, Jr., Schuyler E. Shimanek, Wayne E. Wennekamp, Adam Elkins
  • Patent number: 7971115
    Abstract: A circuit has first portion that receives data at a first rate; a second portion that outputs data at a second rate synchronized to and different from the first rate; a third portion that transfers data from the first portion to the second portion; and a fourth portion that generates an error detected signal in response to a disruption in the synchronism between the first and second rates. A different aspect involves a method that includes: receiving data at a first rate in a first portion; transferring data from the first portion to a second portion; outputting data at a second rate from the second portion, the second rate being synchronized to and different from the first rate; and generating an error detected signal in response to detection of a disruption in the synchronism between the first and second rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Madan M. Patra, Paul T. Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7859936
    Abstract: A method and apparatus involving a circuit is disclosed. The circuit has separate first and second portions, where the first portion includes a first memory device such as a flip-flop, and the second portion includes a second memory device such as a latch. The first portion is selectively operated in first and second operational modes, the first portion consuming less power in the second operational mode than in the first operational mode. During the first operational mode a logical value is maintained in the flip-flop and can vary dynamically. During the second operational mode, the state that the logical value had at a point in time just before the first portion entered the second operational mode is maintained in the latch. Then, after the first portion switches from the second operational mode back to the first operational mode, the state of the logical value in the latch is restored to the flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Narasimhan Vasudevan