Patent ID: 6938177

Claim:
An instrument controller comprising: a non-volatile memory storage component for program and data storage; a large volatile memory storage component for additional program and data storage; a processor coupled to both the non-volatile memory storage component and the large volatile memory storage components, the processor capable of high-frequency and low-frequency operations and having an embedded memory for storing an initialization program that enables the processor to start up processing without first retrieving a program from the non-volatile memory; at least two internal oscillators coupled to the processor, for providing clock signals for the low-frequency and high-frequency operations; a plurality of gates arranged in a field programmable gate array, the gate array coupled to the processor and configured to run independent processes in parallel with the processor; and a plurality of analog-to-digital converters for receiving a plurality of analog inputs, digitizing the analog inputs at one of at least two possible bit depths, thereby generating digital inputs, and providing the digital inputs to the processor; wherein a first portion of the gates in the field programmable gate array is configured to perform signal processing; and wherein a second portion of the gates in the field programmable gate array is configured to operate as a signal distribution matrix for rerouting signals within the instrument controller.