Patent ID: 7508234

Claim:
A write state inspection method of an optically reconfigurable gate array, the optically reconfigurable gate array including a logical circuit chip having a logical circuit having a plurality of optically reconfigurable bit elements and enabling the reconfiguration of the logical structure of the logical circuit by reading a desired optical signal pattern stored in an optical memory and irradiating a logical circuit chip with an optical signal, the write state inspection method for inspecting an information write state of the optically reconfigurable bit element with the optical signal, comprising: a first step of configuring, to the logical circuit, a logical structure (hereinafter, a “logical circuit for inspection”) for inspecting the optically reconfigurable bit element by irradiating an optical signal pattern for inspection (hereinafter, referred to as an “inspection pattern”) stored in advance to the optical memory to the logical circuit chip; a second step of detecting whether an output state of an output terminal of the logical circuit chip to the logical circuit for inspection is a state of the logical level as the H level, the logical level as the L level, or the output impedance as high impedance; and a third step of judging, by comparing the detected state with the normal output state of the logical circuit for inspection, whether the information write state of the optically reconfigurable bit element with the optical signal is successful or unsuccessful, wherein the inspection pattern includes a first inspection pattern in which the optical signal irradiated to the optically reconfigurable bit element as an inspection target is in an OFF-state and a second inspection pattern in which the optical signal irradiated to the optically reconfigurable bit element as the inspection target is in an ON-state, and the first step to third step are executed by sequentially irradiating the first and second inspection patterns in order of the two inspection patterns or inverse order.