Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a programmable logic device, a dedicated device, and an interface circuit between the two. The interface circuit can be easily modified to accommodate the different interface I/O demands of various dedicated devices that may be embedded into the integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the interface circuit may be implemented using a plurality of mask programmable uni-directional interface buffer circuits. The direction of any desired number of the interface buffer circuits can be reversed based on the needs of a desired dedicated device by re-routing the conductors in the interface buffer circuits in a single metal layer of the integrated circuit. In another embodiment, the interface circuit may be implemented using a hardware configurable bi-directional interface buffer circuit.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a serializer/deserializer core of a field programmable gate array includes a channel clock and a data channel. The data channel can serialize and deserialize data in two modes. In the first mode, an embedded clock signal is recovered from the data. In the second mode, a clock signal is provided by the channel clock. A selection signal determines in which mode each of the data channels in the serializer/deserializer core operates. An stair-step clock generator generates a series of rising edge signals used to serialize and deserialize data. The number of bits serialized and deserialized is determined by the control signals to a set of multiplexers in the stair-step clock generator which determine how many registers in the stair-step clock generator are activated.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a serializer/deserializer core of a field programmable gate array includes a channel clock and a data channel. The data channel can serialize and deserialize data in two modes. In the first mode, an embedded clock signal is recovered from the data. In the second mode, a clock signal is provided by the channel clock. A selection signal determines in which mode each of the data channels in the serializer/deserializer core operates. An stair-step clock generator generates a series of rising edge signals used to serialize and deserialize data. The number of bits serialized and deserialized is determined by the control signals to a set of multiplexers in the stair-step clock generator which determine how many registers in the stair-step clock generator are activated.