Patent ID: 6204686
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
A signal routing method for use in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device having a plurality of variable grain blocks (VGB's) and differently-directed. interconnect channels interconnecting the VGB's, wherein each VGB includes primitive building blocks that can be programmably folded-together and further wherein each VGB is programmably-configurable to selectively and independently acquire input term signals from adjacent and differently-directed interconnect channels and to produce one or more respective result signals of respective configurable granularities from the acquired signals, and further wherein each VGB is coupled to supply at least one of its result signals to a shared output component (SOC) that is shared by plural VGB's, the SOC having configurable routing means for programmably-routing received result signals to any one or plural ones of the differently-directed ones of the interconnect channels that are adjacent to the SOC,and further wherein each VGB is programmably-configurable to selectively and independently acquire control signals from its adjacent and differently-directed interconnect channels and to use at least one of its acquired control signals for deriving a respective route-selection signal and supplying the route-selection signal to a corresponding SOC; said method comprising the steps of:(a) configuring one or more of said VGB's to each supply as its respective route-selection signal to a corresponding SOC a selection signal that causes the corresponding SOC to route a designated result signal to a pre-identified one or plural ones of the differently-directed, interconnect channels that are adjacent to the SOC; and(b) configuring at least one of said VGB's to produce and supply said designated result signal to the corresponding SOC so that said designated result signal will be routed to the pre-identified one or plural ones of the differently-directed, interconnect channels that are adjacent to the corresponding SOC.