Patents by Inventor William C. Plants

William C. Plants 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: 7443191
    Abstract: The present system comprises a radiation tolerant programmable logic device having logic modules and routing resources coupling together the logic modules. Configuration data lines providing configuration data control the programming of the logic modules and the routing resources. Error correction circuitry coupled to the configuration data lines analyzes and corrects any errors in the configuration data that may occur due to a single event upset (SEU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7444456
    Abstract: An SRAM bus architecture includes pass-through interconnect conductors. Each of the pass-through interconnect conductors is connected to routing channels of the general interconnect architecture of the FPGA through an element which includes a pass transistor connected in parallel with a tri-state buffer. The pass transistors and tri-state buffers are controlled by configuration SRAM bits. Some of the pass-through interconnect conductors are connected by programmable elements to the address, data and control signal lines of the SRAM blocks, while other pass through the SRAM blocks with out being further connected to the SRAM bussing architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Publication number: 20080246510
    Abstract: A repeatable non-uniform segmented routing architecture in a field programmable gate array comprising: a repeatable block of routing tracks, the routing tracks grouped into sets of routing tracks, each set having a first routing track in a first track position, a second routing track in a last track position, a programmable element, and a direct address device for programming the programmable element; wherein at least one of the routing tracks is segmented into non-uniform lengths by the programmable element and the second routing track crosses-over to the first track position in a region adjacent to an edge of the repeatable block; and wherein a first plurality of the routing track sets proceed in a horizontal direction and a second plurality of the routing track sets proceed in a vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: Arunangshu Kundu, Eric Sather, William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7432733
    Abstract: A routing architecture in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) having a plurality of logic clusters wherein each logic cluster has at least two sub-clusters. The logic clusters are arranged in rows and columns and each logic clusters has a plurality of receiver components, a plurality of transmitter components, at least one buffer module, at least one sequential logic component and at least one combinatorial logic component. A first-level routing architecture is programmably coupled to the logic clusters and a second-level routing architecture is programmably coupled to the logic clusters and to the first-level routing architecture through at least one of the transmitter components and at least one of the receiver components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: Arunangshu Kundu, Venkatesh Narayanan, John McCollum, William C. Plants
  • Publication number: 20080231319
    Abstract: A field programmable gate array architecture having a plurality of input/output pads. The architecture comprising: a plurality of logic clusters; a plurality of input/output clusters; a plurality of input/output buffers; a plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks, the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks having a first-in/first-out memory coupled to one of the plurality of input/output pads; an input/output block controller programmably coupled to the plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks; and a routing interconnect architecture programmably coupling the logic clusters, input/output buffers and the input/output clusters, wherein the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks are programmably coupled between the input/output buffers and the input/output clusters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: ACTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: William C. Plants, Arunangshu Kundu
  • Publication number: 20080197878
    Abstract: An enhanced performance field programmable gate array integrated circuit comprises a field programmable gate array and other functional circuitry such as a mask-programmable gate array in the same integrated circuit. A circuit interface provides communication between the field programmable gate array, the mask-programmable gate array and the integrated circuit I/O.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: ACTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Samuel W. Beal, Sinan Kaptonoglu, Jung-Cheun Lien, William Shu, King W. Chan, William C. Plants
  • Publication number: 20080191363
    Abstract: An integrated circuit system includes a first integrated circuit die and a family of second integrated circuit dice. The first integrated circuit die have input/output circuits disposed thereon and further have a first array of face-to-face bonding structures disposed on a first face thereof. Each member of the family of second integrated circuit dice have logical function circuits disposed thereon and further have a second array of face-to-face bonding structures disposed on a first face thereof. The second array of face-to-face bonding structures of each member of the family mates with a different portion of the first array of face-to-face bonding structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: ACTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: William C. Plants, John McCollum, Theodore Speers
  • Patent number: 7408815
    Abstract: First and second complimentary static random-access-memory cell bit lines are coupled to first and second bit nodes through first and second access transistors controlled by a word line. A first inverter has an input coupled to the first bit node and an output coupled to the second bit node. A second inverter has an input coupled to the second bit node and an output coupled to the first bit node through a first transistor switch. A transistor switch is coupled between the output of a non-volatile memory cell and the first bit node. A control circuit coupled to the gate of the transistor switch. Either the drive level of the non-volatile memory cell is selected to overpower the output of the second inverter or the second inverter is decoupled from the first bit node while the output of the non-volatile memory cell is coupled to the first bit node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7403411
    Abstract: A method for providing a deglitching circuit for a radiation tolerant static random access memory (SRAM) comprising: providing a configuration memory having a plurality of configuration bits; coupling read and write circuitry to the configuration memory for configuring the plurality of configuration bits; coupling a radiation hard latch to a programmable element, the radiation hard latch controlling the programmable element; and providing an interface that couples at least one of the plurality of configuration bits to the radiation hard latch when the write circuitry writes to the at least one of the plurality of configuration bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7385420
    Abstract: A repeatable non-uniform segmented routing architecture in a field programmable gate array comprising: a repeatable block of routing tracks, the routing tracks grouped into sets of routing tracks, each set having a first routing track in a first track position, a second routing track in a last track position, a programmable element, and a direct address device for programming the programmable element; wherein at least one of the routing tracks is segmented into non-uniform lengths by the programmable element and the second routing track crosses-over to the first track position in a region adjacent to an edge of the repeatable block; and wherein a first plurality of the routing track sets proceed in a horizontal direction and a second plurality of the routing track sets proceed in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: Arunangshu Kundu, Eric Sather, William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7385419
    Abstract: A field programmable gate array architecture having a plurality of input/output pads. The architecture comprising: a plurality of logic clusters; a plurality of input/output clusters; a plurality of input/output buffers; a plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks, the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks having a first-in/first-out memory coupled to one of the plurality of input/output pads; an input/output block controller programmably coupled to the plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks; and a routing interconnect architecture programmably coupling the logic clusters, input/output buffers and the input/output clusters, wherein the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks are programmably coupled between the input/output buffers and the input/output clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Plants, Arunangshu Kundu
  • Patent number: 7382155
    Abstract: An enhanced performance field programmable gate array integrated circuit comprises a field programmable gate array and other functional circuitry such as a mask-programmable gate array in the same integrated circuit. A circuit interface provides communication between the field programmable gate array, the mask-programmable gate array and the integrated circuit I/O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel W. Beal, Sinan Kaptonoglu, Jung-Cheun Lien, William Shu, King W. Chan, William C. Plants
  • Publication number: 20080122481
    Abstract: A programmable system-on-a-chip integrated circuit device comprises a programmable logic block, a non-volatile memory block, an analog sub-system, an analog input/output circuit block, and a digital input/output circuit block. A programmable interconnect architecture includes programmable elements and interconnect conductors. Ones of the programmable elements are coupled to the programmable logic block, the non-volatile memory block, the analog sub-system, the analog input/output circuit block, the digital input/output circuit block, and to the interconnect conductors, such that inputs and outputs of the programmable logic block, the non-volatile memory block, the analog sub-system, the analog input/output circuit block, and the digital input/output circuit block can be programmably coupled to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: ACTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Greg Bakker, Khaled El-Ayat, Theodore Speers, Limin Zhu, Brian Schubert, Rabindranath Balasubramanian, Kurt Kolkind, Thomas Barraza, Venkatesh Narayanan, John McCollum, William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7358601
    Abstract: An integrated circuit system includes a first integrated circuit die and a family of second integrated circuit dice. The first integrated circuit die have input/output circuits disposed thereon and further have a first array of face-to-face bonding structures disposed on a first face thereof. Each member of the family of second integrated circuit dice have logical function circuits disposed thereon and further have a second array of face-to-face bonding structures disposed on a first face thereof. The second array of face-to-face bonding structures of each member of the family mates with a different portion of the first array of face-to-face bonding structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Plants, John McCollum, Theodore Speers
  • Patent number: 7288957
    Abstract: The present system comprises a radiation tolerant programmable logic device having logic modules and routing resources coupling together the logic modules. Configuration data lines providing configuration data control the programming of the logic modules and the routing resources. Error correction circuitry coupled to the configuration data lines analyzes and corrects any errors in the configuration data that may occur due to a single event upset (SEU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7224603
    Abstract: First and second complimentary static random-access-memory cell bit lines are coupled to first and second bit nodes through first and second access transistors controlled by a word line. A first inverter has an input coupled to the first bit node and an output coupled to the second bit node. A second inverter has an input coupled to the second bit node and an output coupled to the first bit node through a first transistor switch. A transistor switch is coupled between the output of a non-volatile memory cell and the first bit node. A control circuit coupled to the gate of the transistor switch. Either the drive level of the non-volatile memory cell is selected to overpower the output of the second inverter or the second inverter is decoupled from the first bit node while the output of the non-volatile memory cell is coupled to the first bit node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7213091
    Abstract: An SRAM bus architecture includes pass-through interconnect conductors. Each of the pass-through interconnect conductors is connected to routing channels of the general interconnect architecture of the FPGA through an element which includes a pass transistor connected in parallel with a tri-state buffer. The pass transistors and tri-state buffers are controlled by configuration SRAM bits. Some of the pass-through interconnect conductors are connected by programmable elements to the address, data and control signal lines of the SRAM blocks, while other pass through the SRAM blocks with out being further connected to the SRAM bussing architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7199609
    Abstract: A method of forming a field programmable gate array architecture having a plurality of input/output pads comprising: providing a plurality of logic clusters; providing a plurality of input/output clusters; providing a plurality of input/output buffers; providing a plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks, the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks having a first-in/first-out memory coupled to one of the plurality of input/output pads; providing an input/output block controller programmably coupled to the plurality of dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks, wherein the input/output block controller comprises a dedicated FIFO flag logic block and an input/output FIFO block controller cluster; and providing a routing interconnect architecture programmably coupling the logic clusters, the input/output buffers and the input/output clusters, wherein the dedicated input/output first-in/first-out memory blocks are programmably coupled between the input/out
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Plants, Arunangshu Kundu
  • Patent number: 7173448
    Abstract: The present system comprises a radiation tolerant programmable logic device having logic modules and routing resources coupling together the logic modules. Configuration data lines providing configuration data control the programming of the logic modules and the routing resources. Error correction circuitry coupled to the configuration data lines analyzes and corrects any errors in the configuration data that may occur due to a single event upset (SEU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 7170315
    Abstract: A programmable system-on-a-chip integrated circuit device comprises a programmable logic block, a non-volatile memory block, an analog sub-system, an analog input/output circuit block, and a digital input/output circuit block. A programmable interconnect architecture includes programmable elements and interconnect conductors. Ones of the programmable elements are coupled to the programmable logic block, the non-volatile memory block, the analog sub-system, the analog input/output circuit block, the digital input/output circuit block, and to the interconnect conductors, such that inputs and outputs of the programmable logic block, the non-volatile memory block, the analog sub-system, the analog input/output circuit block, and the digital input/output circuit block can be programmably coupled to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventors: Greg Bakker, Khaled El-Ayat, Theodore Speers, Limin Zhu, Brian Schubert, Rabindranath Balasubramanian, Kurt Kolkind, Thomas Barraza, Venkatesh Narayanan, John McCollum, William C. Plants