Abstract: Circuits and methods of suppressing signal glitches in an integrated circuit (IC). A glitch on a signal entering a clock buffer, for example, is prevented from propagating through the clock buffer. In some embodiments, a latch is added to an input clock path that detects a transition on the input signal, and then ignores any subsequent transitions for a time delta that is determined by a delay circuit. In some embodiments, a multiplexer circuit is used to select between the input clock signal and the output clock signal, with changes on the input clock signal not being passed through the multiplexer circuit unless the time delta has already elapsed. In some embodiments, the delay is programmable, pin-selectable, or self-adapting.

Abstract: A system for signal level shifting in an IC can include a first inverter having a first pull-up device and a pull-down device, wherein the first inverter is operable to receive an input signal having a voltage potential at a logic high that does not disable the first pull-up device. The system can include a second inverter coupled in series to an output of the first inverter, and a control module coupled to the output of the first inverter and an output of the second inverter. Prior to the input signal transitioning to the logic high, the control module is operable to decouple the input signal from the first pull-up device, disable the first pull-up device, and close a feedback loop that latches an output state of the second inverter.

Abstract: E-fuses in an E-fuse memory array are programmed by applying a first programming pulse to a plurality of E-fuses to program the plurality of E-fuses to a first state; and then applying a second programming pulse to at least a selected E-fuse in the plurality of E-fuses to program the selected E-fuse to a second state.

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.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for initializing an integrated circuit are described. A static memory includes an array of memory cells having control lines coupled to a column select component and data lines coupled to a register component. The static memory is formed in one or more first process layers of the integrated circuit. A non-volatile memory includes an array of non-volatile memory cells disposed between column electrodes and row electrodes. The non-volatile memory is formed in one or more second process layers of the integrated circuit disposed above the one or more first process layers. An interface circuit is configured to couple the column select component to the column electrodes and the register component to the row electrodes.

Abstract: Access is provided to user registers of a user design implemented on an integrated circuit (IC). A memory of the IC is initialized with instructions, and a portion of the programmable logic and interconnect resources of the IC is configured to implement an access interface, multiplexer logic, and the user design. A processor is coupled to the programmable logic and interconnect resources and executes the instructions from the memory. The processor receives from an external user interface, via the access interface, an access command. For a read command, the processor reads a value from an identified user register and transmits the value to the external user interface. For a write command, the processor writes a write value specified by the access command to the specified user register via the multiplexer logic. The processor and the user design are both coupled to write to the user registers via the multiplexer logic.

Abstract: A method of determining validity of slice packing for a programmable device can include identifying a slice topology for a slice, identifying a circuit fragment assigned to the slice, and generating a set of Boolean equations describing conditions for mapping the circuit fragment to the slice according to the slice topology. The method further can include determining whether a solution to the set of Boolean equations exists and indicating whether the slice is validly packed according to whether a solution for the set of Boolean equations is determined.

Abstract: A method of testing input signals coupled to a circuit for performing a predetermined function is disclosed. The method comprises coupling input signals to inputs of the circuit by way of programmable interconnects; controlling the paths of the input signals within the circuit from the inputs to an output of the circuit; maintaining the states of the input signals coupled to the inputs of the circuit and routed to the output of the circuit; and testing output signals of the circuit to determine whether the correct input signals were provided to the inputs of the circuit by way of the programmable interconnects. A device having programmable logic which enables testing of input signals is also disclosed.

Abstract: An analog front-end having built-in equalization includes a control module and a tunable gain stage. The control module is operably coupled to provide a frequency response setting based on a channel response of a channel providing high-speed serial data to the analog front-end. The tunable gain stage includes a frequency dependent load and an amplifier input section. The frequency dependent load is adjusted based on the frequency response setting. The amplifier input section is operably coupled to the frequency dependent load and receives the high-speed serial data. In conjunction with the frequency dependent load, the amplifier input section amplifies and equalizes the high-speed serial data to produce an amplified and equalized serial data.

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.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is used to monitor and process parametric variations, such as temperature and voltage variations. An integrated circuit may include a temperature-sensitive oscillator circuit and a temperature-insensitive oscillator circuit, and frequency difference between the two sources may be monitored. In some embodiments, a parametric-insensitive reference oscillator is used as a reference to measure frequency performance of a second oscillator wherein the second oscillator performance is parametric-sensitive. The measured frequency performance is then compared to a tamper threshold and the result of the comparison is indicative of tampering.

Abstract: A phase/frequency detector module allows operation as either a phase locked loop or a frequency locked loop. As a phased locked loop (PLL), the phase detector module is configured to decode phase differences between a reference signal and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) signal into phase correction signals that are updated at the rate of the VCO signal. An accumulation of the phase correction signals is implemented to form an accumulated phase error signal, which is then sampled at a lower rate than the VCO signal to accommodate slower components of the PLL, such as a digital to analog converter (DAC). As a frequency locked loop (FLL), the phase detector module is configured with frequency counters, so that frequency error may instead be detected. Any reduction of gain caused by the frequency counters is inherently equalized by the phase detector module.

Abstract: A circuit enabling the realignment of data is described. The circuit generally comprises an input multiplexer receiving a first plurality of input data bytes and a second plurality of input data bytes; a switching controller coupled to the input multiplexer and controlling the output of the data bytes from the input multiplexer; a delay register coupled to the input multiplexer and receiving predetermined bytes of the first plurality of input data bytes; and an output multiplexer coupled to the input multiplexer and the delay register. The output multiplexer receives the predetermined bytes of the first plurality of input data bytes and predetermined bytes of the second plurality of input data bytes.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for signal processing to minimize the peak to average power ratio of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“OFDM”) or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (“OFDMA”) signal with bounded error vector magnitude for an integrated circuit are described. An Active Constellation Extension (“ACE”) iteration, using a constellation points adjustment module, is performed. Symbols outside of a bounded region after the ACE iteration are identified. The bounded region is determined responsive to an error vector magnitude target. The symbols identified are translated to the bounded region.

Abstract: Approaches for processing packets having variable size fields. In one approach, an extraction circuit determines a size of a variable size field in the packets. A plurality of operation circuits access fields of the packets, and each operation circuit includes a control circuit that determines positions of fields in the packets. The position of an accessed field in a packet varies according to changes in size of the variable size field. A reconfiguration circuit is coupled to the extraction circuit and to the control circuit of each of the operation circuits. The reconfiguration circuit is responsive to a change in size of the variable size field from one packet to the next and reconfigures the control circuit of an operation circuit to correctly determine the field positions in the next packet.

Abstract: A contact pad in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The contact pad comprises a flat portion comprising a base of the contact pad; a plurality of projections extending from and substantially perpendicular to the flat portion; and a solder ball attached to the projections and the flat portion. A method of forming a contact pad is also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of a message processing circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, a high-level language is used to specify a broadcast channel and first and second thread circuits. The first thread circuit outputs messages to the broadcast channel, each message having units of data, and starts the second thread circuit, indicating position in a message at which the second thread circuit is to commence reading data. The broadcast channel receives messages from the first thread circuit and outputs data of each message along with a position code indicating position in the message of current output data. The second thread reads data from the broadcast channel at a specified position in a message. The high-level language specification is translated into a hardware description language (HDL) specification, and the HDL specification is used to generate configuration data for programmable logic. Programmable logic is configured to implement the thread circuits and broadcast channel.

Abstract: Various approaches are described for implementing a high-level programming language program in hardware and software components. In one approach, a method comprises compiling the high-level programming language program into a target language program that includes a plurality of functional elements. Execution of the target language program is profiled to obtain execution counts of the functional elements. A subset of the functional elements are selected for implementation in programmable resources of a programmable device based on the profile data and availability of programmable resources. A bitstream is generated to implement a first sub-circuit that performs functions of the subset of functional elements, and the subset of functional elements is removed from the target language program. The programmable device is configured with the bitstream. The target language program is provided for execution by a processor.

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.

Abstract: A circuit is provided for processing network packets. The circuit includes ports identified in a specification of the processing of the network packets. The specification specifies handlers that each include at least one collection of actions. The specification specifies a dependency between each pair of handlers for which the actions of one handler include a handle action for invoking the other handler. The circuit also includes one or more parallel units coupled to the ports. The parallel units process input network packets and generate output network packets. Each parallel unit corresponds to a respective independent set of the handlers and has a corresponding architecture that is either a pipeline or a cluster of threads. Each parallel unit includes a concurrent unit for each collection of the actions of each handler in the respective independent set. Each concurrent unit is another pipeline for implementing the actions of the collection.