Abstract: Systems, methods, software, and techniques implementing a multiplexer mapper tool can be used to construct a binary decision diagram (BDD) or related structure representing a series of dependent multiplexers. Once in this form, the BDD can be manipulated in a variety of ways including reordering of nodes according to multiplexer selector and minimizing the BDD using conventional techniques. Once properly processed, the BDD can be further separated into smaller BDDs and mapped to existing cell library design elements.

Abstract: An integrated circuit including a voltage generator for generating a body bias voltage is described. The voltage generator includes a charge source and a voltage regulator coupled to the charge source. Transistors are coupled to the charge source to receive the body bias voltage from the voltage generator.

Abstract: Methods and tools for detecting and correcting problems arising in the configuration process of a programmable logic device are described. An analyzer is used to aid a user in debugging the configuration process. The analyzer can access the programmable logic device through a boundary scan architecture such as JTAG. The analyzer can step through the configuration process, capturing the data received by the programmable logic device at each step, and compare that captured data with expected data. Mismatches can indicate errors in the configuration process, and the analyzer can help a user correct such errors.

Abstract: An eFuse sensing circuit replaces the inverters used to provide the “read” output state of a conventional eFuse circuit. The sensing circuit includes a comparator with one input coupled to the eFuse circuitry, and a second input coupled to a reference voltage generator circuit. The reference voltage generator circuit includes an internal resistor. Transistors of the sense circuit are provided to mimic the transistors of the eFuse circuit, so that variations of transistors due to process, voltage and temperature will be substantially the same. The resistor of the sense circuit is then effectively compared with the resistance of the eFuse by the comparator irrespective of temperature and process variations.

Abstract: A true random number generator may comprise a multi-gigabit transceiver with a transceiver to receive a signal of predetermined source data. Recovery circuitry of the transceiver may be operable to recover data from the received signal. A controller may stress the recovery circuit to cause a portion of the data recovered to differ from the respective portion of the predetermined source data. An extractor may define numbers for a true random number sequence based on differences between the recovered data and the predetermined serial source data over an interval of time. In a particular example, the controller may influence at least one of the serial data transfer rate, the number of sequential same-state bits for the predetermined source data, and the stability of a clock signal to be recovered by a portion of the recovery circuit.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for a bimodal source synchronous interface for a receiver module is described. A first input cell with a first delay chain and a first register block is provided for receipt of a forwarded clock signal by the first delay chain. A second input cell with a second delay chain and a second register block is provided for receipt of a data signal by the second delay chain. The second input cell is configured such that output from the second delay chain is coupled to a data input of the second register block. The first input cell and the second input cell may be operated in either a first modality or a second modality. The first modality may be for interfacing to a synchronous integrated circuit interface. The second modality may be for interfacing to a synchronous network/telecommunications interface.

Abstract: An interconnect array formed at least in part using repeated application of an interconnect pattern is described. The interconnect pattern has at least ten interconnect locations. One of the ten interconnect locations is for a power interconnect. Another one of the ten interconnect locations is for a ground interconnect. At least eight interconnect locations remaining are for additional interconnects. The at least eight remaining interconnect locations disposed around a medial region, where either the ground interconnect or the power interconnect is located in the medial region. An offset region having the one of either the ground interconnect or the power interconnect not in the medial region. The interconnect array is at least partially formed by repeated application of the interconnect pattern off-set from one another responsive to the offset region.

Abstract: A hardware stack (HSTACK) structure using programmable logic can include a look-up table (LUT) random access memory (RAM) circuit and circuitry within the LUT RAM circuit for propagating data upwards and downwards. The hardware structure can be arbitrarily assembled into a larger structure by adding stacks to a top portion, a bottom portion, or a portion between the top portion and the bottom portion. The hardware stack structure can further include a virtual stack (VSTACK) structure coupled to the HSTACK structure within a field programmable gate array (FPGA) fabric. The VSTACK can be arranged in the form of an appended peripheral memory and cache control for virtual extension to an HSTACK address space. The hardware stack structure can further include an auxiliary reset circuit.

Abstract: A PLD (700) includes a plurality of logic blocks (701), a plurality of high gating circuits (702) coupled between corresponding logic blocks (701) and a supply voltage (VDD), a plurality of low gating circuits (703) coupled between corresponding logic blocks (701) and ground potential, and a plurality of control circuits (704) to provide control signals (CTRL) to the gating circuits. Each gating circuit pair selectively reduces the operating voltage provided to a corresponding logic block by one or more diode voltage drops in response to the corresponding control signal, thereby allowing the operating voltage provided to each logic block to be dynamically adjusted during run time in response to the control signals.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device such as a PLD is divided into a plurality of logic blocks, each including one or more resources of the device. The device includes a plurality of switch elements and a number of signal isolation circuits. The switch elements selectively disable corresponding logic blocks to reduce power consumption, and the signal isolation circuits selectively isolates corresponding logic blocks to prevent the transmission of invalid data from disabled logic blocks to enabled logic blocks.

Abstract: A PLD (200) includes a power management unit (PMU 210) that selectively implements one or more different power-reduction techniques in response to power configuration signals (PC). By manipulating the PC signals, the PMU can independently enable/disable various supply voltage circuits (110, 120, 130) that power CLBs (101), IOBs (102), and configuration memory cells (106), can generate a capture signal that causes data stored in storage elements of the CLBs to be captured in configuration memory cells, and/or can switch power terminals of configuration memory cells between voltage supply circuits. Also, the PMU can sequentially apply and remove power from a number of configurable PLD portions in response to the PC signals, wherein each configurable portion may include any number of the PLD's resources.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a family of packaged integrated circuits (ICs) having at least two different logic capacities. A first IC die includes two different portions, of which at least one portion can be deliberately rendered non-operational in some manner (e.g., non-functional, inaccessible, and/or non-programmable) within the package. A first set of the first IC dies are packaged such that both portions of the dies are operational. A second set of the first IC dies are packaged such that only the first portion of each die is operational. Once the first and second sets are packaged and the second set of ICs has been evaluated, a decision is made whether or not to manufacture a second IC die that includes the first portion of the first die, while excluding the second portion.

Abstract: According to particular example embodiments, an integrated circuit includes one or more serializing data transmitters. Each such data transmitter is arranged to transmit data on a respective data output port of the integrated circuit, wherein the respective data output port for at least one of the data transmitters is dedicated to transmitting periodic data used for clocking a respective target circuit. In other particular embodiments involving feedback, phase-locked loop (PLL) signal control and/or delay-locked loop (DLL) signal control is achieved in functional blocks of a programmable logic device (PLD). The PLD is responsive to a source clock and includes a configurable logic array that includes configurable logic blocks and configurable routing blocks, and the respective data output port for at least one of the data transmitters provides a respective target clock.

Abstract: Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for generating test vectors for an integrated circuit (IC) under test is described. In one example, a test function is specified using at least one elementary function that encapsulates program code associated with an architecture of the IC under test. An engine is configured with device description data for the IC under test. The engine is executed with the test function as parametric input to generate the test vectors. In one example, the IC under test comprises a programmable logic device (PLD) and the test vectors include configuration data for configuring a pattern in the PLD and at least one test vector for exercising the pattern. The test vectors may be applied directly to the device or through automatic test equipment (ATE). Alternatively, the test vectors may be applied to a IC design simulation of the device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for implementing a program language description of a circuit design for an integrated circuit is described. In one example, a program is specified using a concurrent programming language. The program includes programming constructs that define a plurality of processes and a plurality of communication channels. A hierarchy of elements that classify the programming constructs of the program are generated to produce a transformed representation. A hardware description language (HDL) representation of the circuit design is generated from the transformed representation by translating the hierarchy of elements to a hierarchy of HDL constructs that implements the plurality of processes and the plurality of communication channels in hardware.

Abstract: A clock recovery circuit includes a crossover adjustment circuit operable to adjust a crossover point to adjust a corresponding duty cycle. The adjustment circuit comprises a feedback adjustment combining element which is implemented as summing elements and a crossover point control clock amplifier, an operational amplifier with a resistor in place of a low pass filter at an input of the operational amplifier and feedback driver. The summing element within the feedback adjustment combining element combines input clocks with feedback signals, the crossover point control clock amplifier includes adjustment driver, the two cross coupled PMOS along with the resistor connected between them, reshape input clocks, adjust cross over point and provide output clocks with DCD corrected. A modified Miller capacitor comprising a resistor in series with a capacitor across a drain and gate of a cascode transistor pair is utilized in an output stage to adjust corner frequencies.

Abstract: Methods are provided for processing design information of an electronic circuit design. A single path or multiple paths that are produced by a first design tool are an input for the method. Each path includes an ordered set of element names of the electronic circuit design. Each element name of each path is pattern matched with the names of design blocks of the electronic circuit design produced by a second design tool. Data indicative of a path produced by the second design tool that includes the design blocks that are pattern matched to the ordered set of element names is the output of the method.

Abstract: An integrated circuit die (e.g., a programmable logic device (PLD) die) is manufactured that has the capability of being configured as at least two differently-sized family members. The IC die is tested prior to packaging. If a first portion of the IC die is fully functional, but a second portion includes a localized defect, then the IC die is packaged with a product selection code that configures the IC die to operate as only the first portion of the die. The second portion of the die is deliberately rendered non-operational. Therefore, the IC die can still be sold as a fully functional packaged IC.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting timeout for packets transmitted in a packet-switched point-to-point communication system is described. In one example, timeout logic in a transmitter includes a master time counter, a first-in-first-out circuit (FIFO), difference logic, a timeout counter, and timeout detection logic. The master time counter generates a time signal, and the FIFO stores time stamps for the packets in response to the time signal. The FIFO provides a time stamp to the difference logic in response to a packet acknowledgement. The difference logic computes a time left value in response to the time stamp, the time signal, and a predefined timeout value. The timeout counter counts down from the time left value towards a zero value. The timeout detection logic produces a timeout signal in response to the timeout counter reaching the zero value.

Abstract: A transmit-side client interface for a media access controller embedded in an integrated circuit having programmable logic is described. A media access controller core includes a transmit engine. A transmit-side datapath is coupled to the media access controller core. The transmit-side datapath is configured to operate at two frequencies to accommodate the programmable logic in the integrated circuit.