Patents by Inventor Richard F. Avra

Richard F. Avra has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8892794
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller configured to perform DMA operations between peripheral components of the integrated circuit and/or a memory to which the integrated circuit is configured to be coupled. Combinations of memory-to-memory, memory-to-peripheral, and peripheral-to-memory operations may be used. The DMA controller may be programmed to perform a number of DMA operations concurrently. The DMA operations may be programmed and performed as part of testing the integrated circuit during design and/or manufacture of the integrated circuit. The DMA operations may cause many of the components in the integrated circuit to be busy performing various operations. In some embodiments, programmed input/output (PIO) operations may also be performed while the DMA operations are in progress. In some embodiments, various parameters of the DMA operations and/or PIO operations may be randomized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Richard F. Avra
  • Patent number: 8479135
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a methodology for automating the generation of a programmable logic device implementation of at least a portion of an integrated circuit is contemplated. The methodology may operate on one or more hardware description language (HDL) files which describe the integrated circuit as an input. Additionally, one or more user-generated control files may be input to the methodology. The methodology may process the one or more HDL files, generating a bitstream to program one or more programmable logic devices to implement the described design. The methodology may include automated modification of the HDL files to prepare them for programmable logic device implementation, automated pad ring generation, automated pin multiplexing, daughter card definition, partitioning, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Ang Chen, Joong-Seok Moon, Juhong Zhu, Gaurav S. Gulati, Maziar H. Moallem, Greg H. Nayman, Richard F. Avra
  • Publication number: 20120290881
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller configured to perform DMA operations between peripheral components of the integrated circuit and/or a memory to which the integrated circuit is configured to be coupled. Combinations of memory-to-memory, memory-to-peripheral, and peripheral-to-memory operations may be used. The DMA controller may be programmed to perform a number of DMA operations concurrently. The DMA operations may be programmed and performed as part of testing the integrated circuit during design and/or manufacture of the integrated circuit. The DMA operations may cause many of the components in the integrated circuit to be busy performing various operations. In some embodiments, programmed input/output (PIO) operations may also be performed while the DMA operations are in progress. In some embodiments, various parameters of the DMA operations and/or PIO operations may be randomized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Richard F. Avra
  • Patent number: 8250250
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller configured to perform DMA operations between peripheral components of the integrated circuit and/or a memory to which the integrated circuit is configured to be coupled. Combinations of memory-to-memory, memory-to-peripheral, and peripheral-to-memory operations may be used. The DMA controller may be programmed to perform a number of DMA operations concurrently. The DMA operations may be programmed and performed as part of testing the integrated circuit during design and/or manufacture of the integrated circuit. The DMA operations may cause many of the components in the integrated circuit to be busy performing various operations. In some embodiments, programmed input/output (PIO) operations may also be performed while the DMA operations are in progress. In some embodiments, various parameters of the DMA operations and/or PIO operations may be randomized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Richard F. Avra
  • Patent number: 8078800
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a processor, an internal memory, and a memory controller coupled to an external memory. The integrated circuit may support two or more modes of operation, with different operating points. To switch from one operating point to another, code executed by the processor may copy switch code from the external memory into the internal memory, and may jump to the switch code. Executing out of the internal memory, the switch code may communicate with the memory controller to cause the external memory to enter into self-refresh mode. The operating point may be altered, and the switch code may reinitialize the memory controller after the integrated circuit has stabilized at the new operating point. After the memory controller's physical interface circuit has relocked, the external memory may exit self-refresh mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Sanjay Mansingh, Richard F. Avra
  • Publication number: 20110145781
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a methodology for automating the generation of a programmable logic device implementation of at least a portion of an integrated circuit is contemplated. The methodology may operate on one or more hardware description language (HDL) files which describe the integrated circuit as an input. Additionally, one or more user-generated control files may be input to the methodology. The methodology may process the one or more HDL files, generating a bitstream to program one or more programmable logic devices to implement the described design. The methodology may include automated modification of the HDL files to prepare them for programmable logic device implementation, automated pad ring generation, automated pin multiplexing, daughter card definition, partitioning, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Chih-Ang Chen, Joong-Seok Moon, Juhong Zhu, Gaurav S. Gulati, Maziar H. Moallem, Greg H. Nayman, Richard F. Avra
  • Publication number: 20110099301
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller configured to perform DMA operations between peripheral components of the integrated circuit and/or a memory to which the integrated circuit is configured to be coupled. Combinations of memory-to-memory, memory-to-peripheral, and peripheral-to-memory operations may be used. The DMA controller may be programmed to perform a number of DMA operations concurrently. The DMA operations may be programmed and performed as part of testing the integrated circuit during design and/or manufacture of the integrated circuit. The DMA operations may cause many of the components in the integrated circuit to be busy performing various operations. In some embodiments, programmed input/output (PIO) operations may also be performed while the DMA operations are in progress. In some embodiments, various parameters of the DMA operations and/or PIO operations may be randomized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Richard F. Avra
  • Publication number: 20100312971
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a processor, an internal memory, and a memory controller coupled to an external memory. The integrated circuit may support two or more modes of operation, with different operating points. To switch from one operating point to another, code executed by the processor may copy switch code from the external memory into the internal memory, and may jump to the switch code. Executing out of the internal memory, the switch code may communicate with the memory controller to cause the external memory to enter into self-refresh mode. The operating point may be altered, and the switch code may reinitialize the memory controller after the integrated circuit has stabilized at the new operating point. After the memory controller's physical interface circuit has relocked, the external memory may exit self-refresh mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Maziar H. Moallem, Sanjay Mansingh, Richard F. Avra
  • Patent number: 5519715
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for loading a compiled test program into a microprocessor's internal caches and then controlling the execution of that program. Initially, the microprocessor's internal clock is disabled. Then for each memory location specified in the compiled program, the memory content associated with that location is loaded into the appropriate microprocessor cache. This is accomplished in two primary steps. First, the memory content is shifted into positions on the pins of the microprocessor by a boundary scan shift operation via an IEEE 1149.1 interface. Second, after the pins have the appropriate bit values for the current memory content, an external clock supplies the microprocessor with clock cycles that are then used by the microprocessor to control the loading of data/instructions from the pins into the appropriate data or instruction cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Hao, Richard F. Avra, James C. Hunt, Kanti Bhabuthmal