Abstract: A time-multiplexed field programmable gate array (TM-FPGA) includes programmable logic circuitry, programmable interconnect circuitry, and a plurality of context registers. A user's circuit can be mapped to the programmable logic circuitry, the programmable interconnect circuitry, and the plurality of context registers without the user's intervention in mapping the design.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes logic blocks such as a logic array blocks (LAB) that can be configured as a random access memory (RAM) or as a lookup table (LUT). A mode flag is provided to indicate the mode of operation of configuration logic such as a configuration RAM (CRAM) used during partial reconfiguration of a logic block. An enable read flag is provided to indicate if values stored in the configuration logic are to be read out or a known state is to be read out during a data verification process. Thus, exclusion and inclusion of portions of a region of configuration logic from data verification and correction processes allow a region of configuration logic to store both a design state and a user defined state. Moreover, the region of configuration logic may be dynamically reconfigured from one state to another without causing verification errors.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to an integrated circuit configured to communicate a low-latency word category over a multi-lane link. A transmitter controller is configured to transmit words belonging to the low-latency word category only over a designated lane of the multi-lane link and to transmit words belonging to non-low-latency word categories over any available lane of the multi-lane link. A receiver controller may be configured to determine a word category of a word received over the designated lane and, if the word category is determined to be the low-latency word category, then read the word from the designated lane before lane-to-lane deskew is completed. Other embodiments, aspects, and features of the invention are also disclosed.

Abstract: A time-multiplexed field programmable gate array (TM-FPGA) includes programmable logic circuitry, programmable interconnect circuitry, and a plurality of context registers. A user's circuit can be mapped to the programmable logic circuitry, the programmable interconnect circuitry, and the plurality of context registers without the user's intervention in mapping the design.

Abstract: Systems and methods and systems are disclosed for allowing the medium access control (MAC) layer in a communication system within an integrated circuit or device to accurately determine a timestamp point and a timestamp value when, for example, the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) protocol is in use by the communication system. Such determination of accurate timestamp point and timestamp value may be used by the communication system to account for and to compensate for the time shift(s) from forward error correction (FEC) sublayer changes in a data frame that is transmitted by the MAC layer. Feedback is provided to the MAC from the FEC to allow the MAC to accurately determine the timestamp point and timestamp value align preamble of the data frame to the beginning of the FEC bit block that is output by the FEC sublayer.

Abstract: Control circuitry and adjustable clock signal generation circuitry is provided to control the signal transmission rate for electronic devices and systems of electronic devices. The control circuitry may receive status signals indicating current clock rates of a signal transmitting and receiving circuit as well as current processing capacity from the signal receiving circuit. The control circuitry may then generate control signals which control adjustable clock signal generation circuitry. The adjustable clock signal generation circuitry may be used to adjust the rate of generated clock signals for the signal transmitting and receiving circuits which can increase or decrease the signal transmission rate between those circuits.

Abstract: A method of data validation is provided. In one implementation, the method includes performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) on data transmitted over a channel having L lanes. In one implementation, the performing includes performing the CRC using n CRC bits and a CRC polynomial, where n is an integer equal to or greater than one and where L is an integer equal to or greater than one and represents the number of lanes in the channel. Further, in one implementation, the CRC polynomial is selected based on L. In one implementation, the method includes: performing a CRC on data, where the performing includes performing the CRC using n CRC bits, where n is an integer equal to or greater than one; and performing a checksum on the data, where the performing the checksum includes performing the checksum using m checksum bits, where m is an integer equal to or greater than one, where n plus m bits are allocated for validating the data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of simulating partial reconfiguration of a programmable logic device (PLD). A wrapper module is incorporated into a logic description that may be implemented in a PLD. The wrapper module represents a first logic design. In response to receiving a parameter, the wrapper module changes to represent a second logic design. According to various embodiments, the logic description is a simulatable source file. The simulatable source file is a source file that is used by a simulation program to simulate partial reconfiguration of the logic design. The wrapper module of the simulatable source file receives a run-time parameter. In various embodiments, the logic description is a synthesizable source file. The synthesizable source file is a source file that is used by a synthesis tool to compile the source file into hardware. The wrapper module of the synthesizable source receives a compile-time parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an encoder adapted to encode data bits for transmission via a communication link using pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). The encoder includes a logic circuit. The logic circuit is adapted to perform a logic operation on a pattern of bits and the data bits in order to reduce a run-length and/or improve the DC balance of the data bits.

Abstract: Control circuitry and adjustable clock signal generation circuitry is provided to control the signal transmission rate for electronic devices and systems of electronic devices. The control circuitry may receive status signals indicating current clock rates of a signal transmitting and receiving circuit as well as current processing capacity from the signal receiving circuit. The control circuitry may then generate control signals which control adjustable clock signal generation circuitry. The adjustable clock signal generation circuitry may be used to adjust the rate of generated clock signals for the signal transmitting and receiving circuits which can increase or decrease the signal transmission rate between those circuits.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with at least two LC-based phase-locked loop circuits and a high-speed serial interface circuit having multiple channels is provided. Each phase-locked loop circuit may include an oscillator having a varactor and multiple inductors. The oscillator may be configured to generate signals at different frequency ranges as determined by the inductors and the varactor. The LC-based phase-locked loop circuits may be produced such that all frequency ranges together provide the continuous coverage of an octave, thereby enabling the phase-locked loop circuits to generate a clock signal with high quality factors and desirable phase noise and jitter performance at an arbitrary frequency. Since the channels of the high-speed serial interface circuit may receive a clock signal having an arbitrary frequency, the high-speed serial interface circuit may be configured to support any communications protocol.

Abstract: Embedded logic is implemented in a partially reconfigurable programmable logic device (PLD), thus allowing debugging of implemented instantiations of logic after partial reconfiguration. Several instantiations of logic are received at the PLD. One instantiation of logic is implemented in a reconfigurable region of logic within the PLD. The instantiation of logic includes a port that provides a constant interface between the reconfigurable region of logic and a fixed region of logic within the PLD. The port may receive signals from probe points implemented within the reconfigurable region of logic. The port may provide the signals to a signal interface implemented within a fixed region of logic. Furthermore, an embedded logic analyzer may be implemented in either the reconfigurable region of logic or the fixed region of logic. The embedded logic analyzer receives signals from the probe points and provides signal visibility to an external computing system.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes logic blocks such as a logic array blocks (LAB) that can be configured as a random access memory (RAM) or as a lookup table (LUT). A mode flag is provided to indicate the mode of operation of configuration logic such as a configuration RAM (CRAM) used during partial reconfiguration of a logic block. An enable read flag is provided to indicate if values stored in the configuration logic are to be read out or a known state is to be read out during a data verification process. Thus, exclusion and inclusion of portions of a region of configuration logic from data verification and correction processes allow a region of configuration logic to store both a design state and a user defined state. Moreover, the region of configuration logic may be dynamically reconfigured from one state to another without causing verification errors.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, apparatus, and methods for encoding data transmitted in a data line. In various embodiments, a device may include a first input port operative to receive a first data value. In some embodiments, the device may further include a first memory device operative to look up a second data value based on the first data value, where the second data value is a representation of the first data value encoded according to an encoding scheme that allows clock recovery, and where the memory device is operative to be configured according to a plurality of line encoding schemes. In various embodiments, the device may further include a first output port operative to provide an output signal, where the output signal comprises one or more data values including the second data value.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes logic blocks such as a logic array blocks (LAB) that can be configured as a random access memory (RAM) or as a lookup table (LUT). A mode flag is provided to indicate the mode of operation of configuration logic such as a configuration RAM (CRAM) used during partial reconfiguration of a logic block. An enable read flag is provided to indicate if values stored in the configuration logic are to be read out or a known state is to be read out during a data verification process. Thus, exclusion and inclusion of portions of a region of configuration logic from data verification and correction processes allow a region of configuration logic to store both a design state and a user defined state. Moreover, the region of configuration logic may be dynamically reconfigured from one state to another without causing verification errors.

Abstract: A time-multiplexed field programmable gate array (TM-FPGA) includes programmable logic circuitry, programmable interconnect circuitry, and a plurality of context registers. A user's circuit can be mapped to the programmable logic circuitry, the programmable interconnect circuitry, and the plurality of context registers without the user's intervention in mapping the design.

Abstract: Methods and structures are disclosed for aligning high speed data across a plurality of lanes. In one embodiment, a method and integrated circuit (“IC”) is provided for receiving and aligning scrambled training data across a plurality of data lanes before the data is descrambled. In some implementations, a known scrambled training pattern is different in each lane and alignment includes comparing incoming training data in each lane to different known scrambled training patterns in each lane. In some implementations, after scrambled data is aligned and then descrambled, it is checked against a known unscrambled training pattern to make sure that alignment of the scrambled training data was correct. In an alternative embodiment, data is descrambled before being aligned, but deskew circuitry output is monitored to determine if a training pattern ends at the same time across the plurality of lanes being aligned.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes logic blocks such as a logic array blocks (LAB) that can be configured as a random access memory (RAM) or as a lookup table (LUT). A mode flag is provided to indicate the mode of operation of configuration logic such as a configuration RAM (CRAM) used during partial reconfiguration of a logic block. If the mode flag indicates a design state, the configuration logic associated with the logic block is included in data verification and correction processes. If the mode flag indicates a user defined state, the configuration logic associated with the logic block is excluded from data verification and correction processes. Thus, exclusion and inclusion of portions of a region of configuration logic from data verification and correction processes allow a region of configuration logic to store both a design state and a user defined state without causing deleterious effects.

Abstract: Methods and structures are provided for multi-lane data communication with measurable latency. In a particular embodiment, part of a parallel data set is transmitted from a first device to a second device on a plurality of slave lanes and another part of the data set is transmitted from the first device to the second device on a master lane. A known master delay is applied to data in the master lane that is greater than or equal to the known maximum skew between the lanes. The slave lanes are delayed as needed to align their data with the master lane. In one embodiment, part of the known master lane delay is applied on the first device and another part is applied on the second device. In another embodiment, all of the known master lane delay is applied on the first device and none of it is applied on the second device. In another embodiment, all of the known master lane delay is applied on the second device and none of it is applied on the first device.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes logic blocks such as a logic array blocks (LAB) that can be configured as a random access memory (RAM) or as a lookup table (LUT). A mode flag is provided to indicate the mode of operation of configuration logic such as a configuration RAM (CRAM) used during partial reconfiguration of a logic block. An enable read flag is provided to indicate if values stored in the configuration logic are to be read out or a known state is to be read out during a data verification process. Thus, exclusion and inclusion of portions of a region of configuration logic from data verification and correction processes allow a region of configuration logic to store both a design state and a user defined state. Moreover, the region of configuration logic may be dynamically reconfigured from one state to another without causing verification errors.