Patents Assigned to Altera Corporation
  • Patent number: 10635631
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hybrid programmable logic device which includes a programmable field programmable gate array logic fabric and a many-core distributed processing subsystem. The device integrates both a fabric of programmable logic elements and processors in the same device, i.e., the same chip. The programmable logic elements may be sized and arranged such that place and route tools can address the processors and logic elements as a homogenous routing fabric. The programmable logic elements may provide hardware acceleration functions to the processors that can be defined after the device is fabricated. The device may include scheduling circuitry that can schedule the transmission of data on horizontal and vertical connectors in the logic fabric to transmit data between the programmable logic elements and processor in an asynchronous manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Hutton, Anargyros Krikelis
  • Patent number: 10635772
    Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device includes generating a first netlist for a first version of the system after performing synthesis in a first compilation. Optimizations are performed on the first version of the system during placement and routing in the first compilation resulting in a second netlist. A third netlist is generated for a second version of the system after performing synthesis in a second compilation. A hybrid netlist is generated from the first, second, and third netlists. Incremental placement and routing are performed on portions of the hybrid netlist that are new to the first compilation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Junaid Asim Khan, Gabriel Quan, Ketan Padalia, Scott James Brissenden, Ryan Fung
  • Patent number: 10615800
    Abstract: A method of configuring a programmable integrated circuit device. A channel source within the virtual fabric is configured to receive input data from a first kernel outside of the virtual fabric and on the programmable integrated circuit device, and a channel sink within the virtual fabric is configured to transmit output data to the first kernel. The configuring of the channel source is modified such that the channel source receives input data from a second kernel in response to detecting a change in operation of the programmable integrated circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Doris Tzu Lang Chen, Deshanand Singh
  • Patent number: 10613831
    Abstract: A specialized processing block on an integrated circuit includes a first and second arithmetic operator stage, an output coupled to another specialized processing block, and configurable interconnect circuitry which may be configured to route signals throughout the specialized processing block, including in and out of the first and second arithmetic operator stages. The configurable interconnect circuitry may further include multiplexer circuitry to route selected signals. The output of the specialized processing block that is coupled to another specialized processing block together with the configurable interconnect circuitry reduces the need to use resources outside the specialized processing block when implementing mathematical functions that require the use of more than one specialized processing block. An example for such mathematical functions include the implementation of scaled product sum operations and the implementation of Horner's rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Langhammer
  • Patent number: 10614354
    Abstract: A method for implementing a convolutional neural network (CNN) accelerator on a target includes utilizing one or more processing elements to implement a standard convolution layer. A configuration of the CNN accelerator is modified to change a data flow between components on the CNN accelerator. The one or more processing elements is utilized to implement a fully connected layer in response to the change in the data flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Utku Aydonat, Gordon Raymond Chiu, Andrew Chaang Ling
  • Patent number: 10615955
    Abstract: Techniques to operate circuitry in an integrated circuit are provided. The circuitry may include rate detection circuitry, receiver circuitry, and configuration circuitry. The receiver circuitry may receive a data stream with an arbitrary data rate. The rate detection circuitry may receive a reference clock signal that is associated with the received data stream. The rate detection circuitry determines the frequency of the reference clock signal such that an appropriate clock signal may be generated for the receiver circuitry. The receiver clock signal may be generated by clock generation circuitry that is coupled to the rate detection circuitry. The configuration circuitry may accordingly configure the receiver circuitry based at least on the determined frequency of the reference clock signal so that the receiver circuitry may operate at the arbitrary data rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Boon Hong Oh, Chee Seng Tan, Chau Perng Chin
  • Patent number: 10606779
    Abstract: A programmable integrated circuit that can support partial reconfiguration is provided. The programmable integrated circuit may include multiple processing nodes that serve as accelerator blocks for an associated host processor that is communicating with the integrated circuit. The processing nodes may be connected in a hybrid shared-pipelined topology. Each pipeline stage in the hybrid architecture may include a bus switch and at least two shared processing nodes connected to the output of the bus switch. The bus switched may be configured to route an incoming packet to a selected one of the two processing nodes in that pipeline stage or may only route the incoming packet to the active node if the other node is undergoing partial reconfiguration. Configured in this way, the hybrid topology supports partial reconfiguration of the processing nodes without disrupting or limiting the operating frequency of the overall network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Evan Custodio
  • Patent number: 10599404
    Abstract: A method of compiling program code includes determining if the program code controls a programmable logic device to execute other program code. The program code is a parallel program having a barrier function call for a group of threads. If it is determined that program code is to control the programmable logic device, then the program code is transformed by replacing the barrier function call with control logic inserted into the program code such that the transformed program code remains a parallel program and maintains synchronization among the group of threads. A compiler system that compiles program code with a barrier function call for a group of threads is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: David Neto, Deshanand Singh, Tomasz Czajkowski, John Stuart Freeman, Tian Yi David Han
  • Patent number: 10591544
    Abstract: Integrated circuit packages with multiple integrated circuit dies are provided. A multichip package may include a master die that is coupled to one or more slave dies via inter-die package interconnects. A mixed (i.e., active and passive) interconnect redundancy scheme may be implemented to help repair potentially faulty interconnects to improve assembly yield. Interconnects that carry normal user signals may be repaired using an active redundancy scheme by selectively switching into use a spare driver block when necessary. On the other hand, interconnects that carry power-on-reset signals, initialization signals, and other critical control signals for synchronizing the operation between the master and slave dies may be supported using a passive redundancy scheme by using two or more duplicate wires for each critical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Dana How, Dinesh Patil, Arifur Rahman, Jeffrey Erik Schulz
  • Patent number: 10592699
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for preventing tampering of a programmable integrated circuit device. Generally, programmable devices, such as FPGAs, have two stages of operation; a configuration stage and a user mode stage. To prevent tampering and/or reverse engineering of a programmable device, various anti-tampering techniques may be employed during either stage of operation to disable the device and/or erase sensitive information stored on the device once tampering is suspected. One type of tampering involves bombarding the device with a number of false configuration attempts in order to decipher encrypted data. By utilizing a dirty bit and a sticky error counter, the device can keep track of the number of failed configuration attempts that have occurred and initiate anti-tampering operations when tampering is suspected while the device is still in the configuration stage of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce B. Pedersen
  • Patent number: 10586004
    Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device includes performing one of synthesis, placement, and routing on the system. A designer is presented with a timing analysis of the system after one of the synthesis, placement, and routing, wherein the timing analysis reflects register retiming optimizations predicted to be implemented on the system. One of the synthesis, placement, and routing is modified in response to input provided by the designer after the presenting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Nishanth Sinnadurai, Benjamin Gamsa
  • Publication number: 20200073851
    Abstract: A multichip package having a main die coupled to one or more daughter dies is provided. The main die may include embedded universal interface blocks (UIB) each of which can be used to interface with a corresponding daughter die to support high bandwidth parallel or serial communications. Each UIB may include an integrated processor subsystem and associated pattern sequencing logic to perform interface initialization and margining operations. Each UIB may perform simultaneous accesses to a daughter die across one or more channels. Each UIB may also include multiple phase-locked loop circuits for providing different clock signals to different portions of the UIB and a 2× clock phase generation logic. Each UIB may include multiple IO modules, each of which may optionally include its own duty cycle correction circuit. Each IO module may include buffer circuits, each of which may have a de-emphasis control logic for adjusting buffer drive strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Chee Hak Teh, Arifur Rahman
  • Patent number: 10572224
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may have specialized processing blocks that are configurable to operate as arithmetic operators that may implement, amongst other functions, multiplication and multiply-accumulation operations in a first mode. In a second mode, a sequencer circuit may provide data signals and control signals to the specialized processing blocks such that the specialized processing block operates as a signal processing device that handles signals in a given sequence. For example, the sequencer circuit may control the signal arrival at the specialized processing block and the configuration of the configurable circuitry in the specialized processing block. In certain embodiments, the sequencer circuit and the specialized processing block may implement finite impulse response (FIR) filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Valavan Manohararajah
  • Patent number: 10574267
    Abstract: Syndrome calculation circuitry for a decoder of codewords having a first number of symbols, where the decoder receives a second number of parallel symbols, and where the first number is not evenly divisible by the second number, includes multipliers equal in number to the second number. Each multiplier multiplies a symbol by a coefficient based on a root of a field of the decoder. The multipliers are divided into a number of groups determined as a function of a modulus of the first number and the second number. Adders equal in number to the groups add outputs of multipliers in respective ones of the groups. Accumulation circuitry accumulates outputs of the adders. Output circuitry adds outputs of the adders to an output of the accumulation circuitry to provide a syndrome. Selection circuitry directs outputs of the adders to the accumulation circuitry or the output circuitry, and resets the accumulation circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Langhammer
  • Patent number: 10572222
    Abstract: Integrated circuits with specialized processing blocks are provided. The specialized processing blocks may include floating-point multiplier circuits that can be configured to support variable precision. A multiplier circuit may include a first carry-propagate adder (CPA), a second carry-propagate adder (CPA), and an associated rounding circuit. The first CPA may be wide enough to handle the required precision of the mantissa. In a bridged mode, the first CPA may borrow an additional bit from the second CPA while the rounding circuit will monitor the appropriate bits to select the proper multiplier output. A parallel prefix tree operable in a non-bridged mode or the bridged mode may be used to compute multiple multiplier outputs. The multiplier circuit may also include exponent and exception handling circuitry using various masks corresponding to the desired precision width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Langhammer
  • Patent number: 10565155
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for supporting wide-protocol interface across a multi-die interconnect interface. Data signals of a wide-protocol interface are split into a plurality of data streams. A handshake signal is established between a first circuit and a second circuit, whereby the first circuit and second circuit are dies of a multi-die device. The first circuit transmits the plurality of data streams to the second circuit via a plurality of multi-die interconnect channels. Each data stream of the plurality of data streams are compressed based on the handshake signal in order to provide wide-protocol interface with reduced number of required pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Brian Wallichs, Keith Duwel, Cora Lynn Mau
  • Patent number: 10558437
    Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device includes performing a high-level compilation of a computer program language description of the system to generate a hardware description language (HDL) of the system. The high-level compilation performs optimizations in response to profile data obtained from an earlier compilation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Dmitry N. Denisenko
  • Patent number: 10552052
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include memory interface circuitry for communicating with an external or in-package memory module. The integrated circuit may also include out-of-order (OOO) clients and in-order (IO) clients that issue read and write commands to the memory interface circuitry. The memory interface circuitry may include a memory controller having an OOO command scheduler, a write data buffer, and a simple read data pipeline. The memory interface circuitry may also include a multiport arbitration circuit for interfacing with the multiple clients and also OOO adaptor circuits interposed between the multiport arbitration circuit and the IO clients. Each of the OOO adaptor circuits may include an ID generator and a local reordering buffer and may allow the memory controller to return data to the various clients without throttling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Chee Hak Teh
  • Patent number: 10546087
    Abstract: A method for generating configuration information using a computer aided design (CAD) tool includes a step to receive an intellectual property block. The method also includes a step to receive a configuration and status register (CSR) data file. The configuration and status register data file includes a user selected portion of runtime features from all of the available runtime features of the intellectual property block. The method may also include a step to receive an additional intellectual property block and an additional configuration and status register data file. Based on the two intellectual property blocks and the configuration and status register data files, a consolidated configuration and status register block may be formed. These intellectual property block(s) and configuration status register block(s) are formed on an integrated circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Sze Yin Lee, Arul Paniandi, Chong Tean Chuah, Siew Ling Yeoh, Yun Hui Moh
  • Patent number: 10523207
    Abstract: Systems and methods relating to a programmable circuit. The programmable circuit includes multiple sectors. Each sector includes configurable functional blocks, configurable routing wires, configuration bits for storing configurations for the functional blocks and routing wires, and local control circuitry for interfacing with the configuration bits to configure the sector. The programmable circuit may include global control circuitry for interfacing with the local control circuitry to configure the sector. Each sector may be independently operable and/or operable in parallel with other sectors. Operating the programmable circuit may include using the local control circuitry to interface with the configurations bit and configure the sector. Additionally, operating the programmable circuit may include using the global control circuitry to interface with respective local control circuitry and configure the sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Dana How, Sean R. Atsatt, Michael David Hutton, Herman Henry Schmit