Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for testing or aligning optical components in a photonic chip using a grating coupler. In one embodiment, the photonic chip may include an edge coupler and a grating coupler for optically coupling the photonic chip to external fiber optic cables. The edge coupler may be disposed on a side or edge of the photonic chip while the grating coupler is located on a top or side of the photonic chip. During fabrication, the edge coupler may be inaccessible. Instead of using the edge coupler to test the photonic chip, a testing apparatus can use the grating coupler along with a splitter to transfer optical test signals between an optical component in the photonic chip (e.g., a modulator or detector) and a test probe optically coupled to the grating coupler.

Abstract: An example programmable integrated circuit (IC) includes a programmable fabric having a programmable interconnect and wire tracks adjacent to at least one edge of the programmable fabric. The programmable IC further includes at least one ring node integrated with at least one edge of the programmable fabric, the at least one ring node coupled between the programmable interconnect and the wire tracks. The programmable IC further includes a system-in-package (SiP) input/output (IO) circuit coupled to the wire tracks.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for determining mask-value pairs for controlling access to a memory segment for a plurality of IDs. A first set of mask-value pairs is determined for a set of allowed identifiers (IDs) and a set of non-allowed IDs. Each mask-value pair of the first set matches at least one ID of the set of allowed IDs and does not match any of the IDs of the set of non-allowed IDs. Redundant mask-value pairs are removed from the first set to produce a second set. Subsets of mask-value pairs in the second set that match the entire set of allowed IDs are determined. The subset having the highest processing efficiency is determined and selected. A set of configuration data is generated that is configured to cause a memory management circuit to enforce access to the memory segment based on the selected subset of mask-value pairs.

Abstract: Approaches for routing clock signals of a circuit design on an IC include determining initial partitions of clock sources and clock loads. Each initial partition includes one of the clock sources and a subset of the clock loads associated with the one clock source, and initial each partition defines an area of the IC in which the one of the clock sources and the associated subset of clock loads are placed. A processor determines for each of the initial partitions, whether or not the initial partition has a congested clock region. For each initial partition determined to have a congested clock region, the processor defines a respective new partition by excluding the one of the clock sources from the new partition. The new partition includes the subset of the clock loads and does not include the one clock source. The processor then routes clock signals from the clock sources to the clock loads.

Abstract: A method for providing access by a virtual context to a physical instance includes receiving a request to access a physical instance of a plurality of physical instances of a hardware resource of a device. The request is associated with a virtual machine of a plurality of virtual machines. The method next determines that one of the physical instances is available, and assigns a virtual context associated with the virtual machine to access the one of the physical instances when the one of the physical instances is available. The assigning comprises retrieving the virtual context from a memory of the device and loading the virtual context into the one of the physical instances. The method then stores the virtual context in the memory after the one of the physical instances is accessed by the virtual context.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided which improve heat transfer between a lid and an IC die of an IC (chip) package. In one embodiment, a chip package is provided that includes a first IC die, a package substrate, a lid and a stiffener. The first IC die is coupled to the package substrate. The stiffener is coupled to the package substrate and circumscribes the first IC die. The lid has a first surface and a second surface. The second surface faces away from the first surface and towards the first IC die. The second surface of the lid is conductively coupled to the IC die, while the lid is mechanically decoupled from the stiffener.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a circuit arrangement that includes a master circuit and a slave circuit. The master circuit generates transactions, and the slave circuit generates responses to the transactions from the master circuit. A first circuit is coupled between the master circuit and the slave circuit. The first circuit determines for each transaction from the master circuit whether the slave circuit generates an expected number of responses within a timeout period. For each transaction for which the slave circuit does not generate the expected number of responses within the timeout period, the first circuit generates and transmits the expected number of responses to the master circuit.

Abstract: In an example, a serial peripheral interface (SPI) flash memory controller includes a transmit first-in-first-out (FIFO) circuit and an SPI interface operable to provide an interface between the transmit FIFO and an SPI flash memory. The SPI flash memory controller further includes a random access memory (RAM) operable to store a memory interface file, an address interface of the RAM operable to receive a command from the transmit FIFO circuit, a data interface of the RAM operable to output a control word associated with the command. The SPI flash memory controller further includes state machine logic operable to set behavior of the SPI interface based on the control word output from the RAM, where the control word includes a data direction field, a data phase field, an addressing width field, an addressing phase field, and a command error field.

Abstract: The disclosure describes approaches for protecting a circuit design for a programmable integrated circuit (IC). A black key is generated from an input red key by a registration circuit implemented on the programmable IC, and the black key is stored in a memory circuit external to the programmable IC. The programmable IC is configured to implement a pre-configuration circuit, which inputs the black key from the memory circuit and generates the red key from the black key. A ciphertext circuit design is decrypted into a plaintext circuit design by the programmable IC using the red key, and the red key is erased from the programmable IC. The programmable IC is reconfigured with the plaintext circuit design.

Abstract: Various example implementations are directed to circuits and methods for communicating between disparate processor circuits. According to an example implementation, a circuit arrangement includes a plurality of processor circuits and an inter-processor communication circuit. The inter-processor communication circuit is configured to provide, for each pair of the processor circuits, a respective communication channel between the pair of processor circuits. The inter-processor communication circuit includes a plurality of buffers including a respective first buffer and a respective second buffer for each communication channel. An access control circuit included in the inter-processor communication circuit is configured to restrict write access to the respective first buffer to the first processor circuit and restrict write access to the respective second buffer to the second processor circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for placement between a package and an integrated circuit board includes: an insert having: a substrate having a top side and a bottom side; a first set of pads at the top side of the substrate; a second set of pads at the bottom side of the substrate; and a plurality of vias in the substrate, the vias connecting respective pads in the first set to respective pads in the second set; wherein the insert has a thickness that is less than a spacing between the package and the integrated circuit board.

Abstract: A circuit for routing data between die of an integrated circuit is described. The circuit comprises differential transmitter and receiver pairs of different integrated circuit die that are coupled together by differential transmission lines. A separate differential transmitter associated with the first die of the integrated circuit and a separate differential receiver associated with the second die of the integrated circuit are configured to transmit data day way of the differential transmission lines associated with the differential transmitter and receiver pairs.

Abstract: In an adaptation module relating generally to adaptive optical channel compensation, an analysis module is coupled to receive a first data signal and a second data signal and coupled to provide first information and second information. A comparison module is coupled to compare the first information and the second information to provide third information. An adjustment module is coupled to receive the third information to provide fourth information to compensate for distortion in the second data signal with reference to the first data signal. The second data signal is associated with a conversion of the first data signal to an optical signal for communication via an optical channel.

Abstract: A clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit includes a phase detector, a frequency accumulator, and a sequencer circuit. The phase detector generates a phase detect result signal in response to phase detection of a plurality of samples, which are generated by sampling a first data signal from a receiver using a sampling clock. The frequency accumulator accumulates, using a frequency register, frequency offset information from the phase detect result signal to generate an accumulated total. The frequency offset information is associated with a frequency difference between a first reference clock of the receiver and a second reference clock associated with the first data signal. The accumulated total is stored in the frequency register and provided from the frequency register for updating the sampling clock. The sequencer circuit is configured to perform a reset operation to reset the accumulated total in the frequency register based on a sequence of sequence elements.

Abstract: A circuit for transmitting data in an integrated circuit device is described. The circuit comprises a first data width conversion circuit configured to receive a first portion of transmit data to be transmitted in parallel; a first parallel-in, serial-out circuit configured to receive an output of the first data width conversion circuit; a first reset timer configured to provide a first reset signal to enable resetting the first data width conversion circuit; a second data width conversion circuit configured to receive a second portion of the transmit data; a second parallel-in, serial-out circuit configured to receive an output of the second data width conversion circuit; and a second reset timer configured to provide a second reset signal to enable resetting the second data width conversion circuit.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring latency in an integrated circuit device is described. The circuit comprises a transmitter circuit having signal generator configured to generate a test signal having a marker for determining a latency in a path associated with the integrated circuit device; and a latency calculation circuit coupled to the signal generator and having a latency adjustment circuit and a unit interval (UI) adjustment circuit; wherein the latency calculation circuit generates a latency value (LATENCY) based upon a latency count from the latency adjustment circuit and a UI adjustment from the UI adjustment circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for creating a multi-die package from a wafer without dicing the wafer into individual dies and reassembling the dies on an interposer. One example method generally includes testing a plurality of IC dies disposed on a wafer; disposing one or more connectivity layers above the plurality of IC dies, the one or more connectivity layers comprising one or more electrical conductors configured to connect together two or more of the plurality of dies in each of one or more groups of the IC dies; dicing the wafer having the one or more connectivity layers disposed above the plurality of dies into sets, each set comprising one or more of the plurality of dies, wherein the dicing is based on the one or more groups having IC dies that passed the testing; and packaging at least a portion of the sets of dies.

Abstract: An integrated circuit enables the selection of a circuit. According to one implementation, a plurality of redundant circuits provide a predetermined function and a voltage sensor may be coupled to receive a reference voltage. A selection circuit may be coupled to the voltage sensor and the reference voltage, wherein the selection circuit selects one of the plurality of redundant circuits to be implemented in the integrated circuit based upon a detected voltage of the reference voltage of the reference voltage.

Abstract: High level synthesis can include detecting, using a processor, an enumerated operation within an instruction of a loop construct of an application, determining, using the processor, whether the loop construct meets a modification condition, and responsive to determining that the loop construct meets the modification condition, modifying, using the processor, the loop construct to calculate the enumerated operation as a compile time constant, wherein the modified loop construct is functionally equivalent to the loop construct.

Abstract: A driver circuit includes a plurality of output circuits coupled in parallel between a differential input and a differential output and having a first common node and a second common node. Each of the plurality of output circuits includes a series combination of a pair of inverters and a pair of resistors, coupled between the differential input and the differential output; first source terminals of the pair of inverters coupled to the first common node; and second source terminals of the pair of inverters coupled to the second common node. The driver circuit further includes a first voltage regulator having an output coupled to the first common node of the plurality of output circuits; a second voltage regulator having an output coupled to the second common node of the plurality of circuits; and a current compensation circuit coupled between the outputs of the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator.