Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to “hybrid” programmable logic devices having mask-programmable portions as well as field-programmable portions. More particularly, this invention relates to mask-programmable logic devices in which at least some of the input/output and/or clock circuitry is programmable by the user even after mask programming has occurred.  
         [0002]     Programmable logic devices are well known. Early programmable logic devices were one-time configurable. For example, configuration may have been achieved by “blowing”—i.e., opening—fusible links. Alternatively, the configuration may have been stored in a programmable read-only memory. These devices generally provided the user with the ability to configure the devices for “sum-of-products” (or “P-TERM”) logic operations. Later, such programmable logic devices incorporating erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) for configuration became available, allowing the devices to be reconfigured.  
         [0003]     Still later, programmable logic devices incorporating static random access memory (SRAM) elements for configuration became available. These devices, which also can be reconfigured, store their configuration in a nonvolatile memory such as an EPROM, from which the configuration is loaded into the SRAM elements when the device is powered up. These devices generally provide the user with the ability to configure the devices for look-up-table-type logic operations.  
         [0004]     In all of the foregoing programmable logic devices, both the logic functions of particular logic elements in the device, and the interconnect for routing of signals between the logic elements, were programmable. More recently, mask-programmable logic devices (“MPLDs”) have been provided. With MPLDs, instead of selling all users the same device, the manufacturer manufactures a partial device with a standardized arrangement of logic elements whose functions are not programmable by the user, and which lacks certain routing or interconnect resources.  
         [0005]     The user provides the manufacturer of the MPLD with the specifications of a desired device, which may be the configuration file for programming a comparable conventional programmable logic device. The manufacturer uses that information to add metallization layers to the partial device described above. Those additional layers program the logic elements by making certain connections within those logic elements, and also add interconnect routing between the logic elements.  
         [0006]     While conventional programmable logic devices allow a user to easily design a device to perform a desired function, a conventional programmable logic device invariably includes resources that may not be used for a particular design. Moreover, in order to accommodate general purpose routing and interconnect resources, and the switching resources that allow signals from any logic element to reach any desired routing and interconnect resource, conventional programmable logic devices grow ever larger as more functionality is built into them, increasing the size and power consumption of such devices. The routing of signals through the various switching elements as they travel from one routing and interconnect resource to another also slows down signals.  
         [0007]     The advent of MPLDs has allowed users to prove a design in a conventional programmable logic device, but to commit the production version to an MPLD which, for the same functionality, can be significantly smaller and use significantly less power, because the only interconnect and routing resources are those actually needed for the particular design. In addition, those resources are simple metallizations, so there are no general purpose switching elements consuming space or power, or slowing down signals.  
         [0008]     Although MPLDs have the foregoing advantages, it may happen from time to time that there is a change in the environment in which a programmed MPLD (i.e., a mask-programmed logic device) is used. A mask-programmed logic device almost invariably is used in a system including other components. It may happen, after the design of a mask-programmed logic device for use in such a system, that parameters of the system change in such a way that, while the logical operation of the mask-programmed logic device need not change, the input/output (“I/O”) characteristics do change—e.g., because some other component of the system had to be changed. With known MPLDs, that would necessitate a redesign of the programming metallization layers to accommodate the new I/O characteristics, even though the logic has not changed.  
         [0009]     Similarly, environmental changes may affect clock speeds in a way that requires adjustment of clock characteristics of an MPLD. Although it is known to allow the logic core of an MPLD to adjust clock characteristics of the device, those adjustments can be made only when the logic has been predesigned to make them. Therefore, unless the environmental condition requiring clock adjustments is foreseen, and the logic is designed to test for it so that it can be detected and acted upon, known MPLDs cannot accommodate environmental changes that affect clock characteristics.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a mask-programmable logic device that provides the size and speed advantages of previously known mask-programmable logic devices, but also can more easily accommodate necessary changes resulting from environmental conditions.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     In accordance with this invention, a mask-programmable logic device is provided that can more easily accommodate necessary changes, such as those described above that are necessitated by changes in the environment in which an already-designed, programmed MPLD is used. Specifically, while the logic implemented in an MPLD according to the present invention is fixed once the MPLD has been programmed by addition of the programming metallization layers, at least a portion, and preferably all, of the I/O and/or clock circuitry remains programmable by a user in the field. This allows a user to accommodate environmental changes without having to go back to the MPLD manufacturer/supplier for redesign of the programming mask layers.  
         [0012]     The I/O circuitry of an MPLD according to the invention preferably is similar to or essentially the same as the programmable I/O circuitry of corresponding PLDs available from the same supplier, preferably having the ability to use various I/O signaling standards, including both single-ended and differential signaling standards. Similarly, the I/O circuitry preferably includes high-speed serial interface circuitry, which preferably incorporates clock-data recovery circuitry, to accommodate those signaling standards requiring such circuitry.  
         [0013]     Because at least portions of the I/O circuitry are programmable, if circuit changes occur in the remainder of the system in which a programmed MPLD is being used, but the logic to be performed by the MPLD does not change, the user can adjust the I/O circuitry to accommodate the environmental changes. For example, changes in the system outside the MPLD may result in the need for a different drive strength or pull-up resistance on a particular I/O pin. The I/O buffer driving that pin can be adjusted as necessary in an MPLD according to the invention. The length, or even the inclusion at all, of a delay chain in a particular I/O path—e.g., to adjust set-up time or time to clock-out (TCO), also can be adjusted. Slew rate also may be adjusted. And it may be possible to turn off a particular I/O circuit altogether by tristating it.  
         [0014]     Even a change in the I/O signaling standard used on a particular I/O pin may be possible, particularly if the signaling standard to which it is desired to change uses the same voltage level as the signaling standard previously used on that pin. A change to a different signaling standard using a different voltage may be possible if the programming metallization layers as designed for the first signaling standard can accommodate the new signaling standard.  
         [0015]     In addition, if the original signaling standard is a differential signaling standard, the user can reprogram the I/O circuitry to use a single-ended signaling standard. The reverse also may be true, if additional pins are available. Similarly, if there is a change in the pinouts from the MPLD that are required or expected by the larger system, it may be possible to reassign I/O signals to different pins. Such reassignment, if available at all, likely would be limited to adjacent or nearby pins, depending on the degree to which individual I/O buffers include circuitry that connects with neighboring I/O buffers.  
         [0016]     Although known MPLDs are not programmable after the programming metallization layers have been added, and thus are not field-programmable by users, it is known to provide in MPLDs components that are programmable during operation of the device. For example, the HardCopy™ line of MPLDs from Altera Corporation, of San Jose, Calif., include loop circuitry (e.g., phase-locked loops) for generating high-speed clock signals during device operation. During operation of the device, it may be necessary for the user logic to adjust operation of the loop circuit. Therefore, the loop circuitry is programmable, except that in previously known devices of this type, the user has no access to the configuration memory. Instead, the user logic core is given access to the configuration memory, known as the Configuration State Registers. However, the user logic core is fixed once the programming metallization layers are in place, so can change the loop circuitry only in ways that the user foresaw and provided the capability for in the programming.  
         [0017]     In accordance with the present invention, the user also may be given access to the Configuration State Registers to make changes to the operation of the loop circuitry if called for by environmental changes. For example, clock speeds may need to be adjusted to accommodate clock speed changes either inside or outside the device resulting from a change in the expected ambient temperature of the operating environment, such as when a device designed for room temperature operation is redesigned for use at high temperaturess. As another example, changes in the system outside the device, or dimensional changes inside the device resulting from the conversion from a conventional programmable logic device to an MPLD, may result in a phase mismatch between the clocks inside and outside the device, and therefore the user may need to adjust the clock phase.  
         [0018]     In addition, according to the invention the Configuration State Registers preferably also are used to control as much of the I/O circuitry as is made programmable. One or more pins on the MPLD are provided for this purpose (possibly shared with one or more other functions), so that the user can program the I/O circuitry when necessary. Programming can be accomplished using conventional PLD programming tools provided by the manufacture/supplier of the MPLD, such as the QUARTUS® II programming software available from Altera Corporation.  
         [0019]     Thus, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a mask-programmable logic device including an array of programmable logic elements. Each respective one of the logic elements has contacts for configuring that respective logic element to perform at least one logic function and for connection to an interconnect structure for interconnecting the logic elements. The mask-programmable logic device also includes at least one user-configurable element having contacts for connection to the interconnect structure for interconnecting the at least one user-configurable element and the logic elements, and being configurable by a user when necessitated by changes in environment outside the mask-programmable logic device.  
         [0020]     The present invention includes not only the mask-programmable base device, but also the mask-programmed device after application of the programming metallization layer or layers. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     The above and other advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary schematic representation of a mask-programmable logic device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional representation of a portion of a mask-programmed logic device in accordance with the present invention, taken from line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of an input/output block for a mask-programmable logic device in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a simplified block diagram of an illustrative system employing a mask-programmed logic device in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     The invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is representative of a mask-programmable logic device  10  from the HardCopy™ family of mask-programmable logic devices available from Altera Corporation, of San Jose, Calif., the assignee hereof. MPLD  10  itself includes an array of logic regions similar to those found in the STRATIX™ family of conventional programmable logic devices available from Altera Corporation. In summary, those logic regions include, at the most basic level, “logic elements” or “logic modules” (LEs)  11 , which may be, for example, look-up-table-based logic regions having four inputs and a register providing the ability to have registered or unregistered output. Logic elements  11  may be grouped into “logic array blocks” (LABs)  12 . In the embodiment shown, each LAB  12  includes ten LEs  11 , although other numbers of LEs  11  could be grouped into each LAB  12 . LABs  12  preferably are arranged in an orthogonal array, in rows and columns. Although only the LABs  12  in column  13  are shown divided into LEs  11 , all LABs  12  are so divided.  
         [0028]     Columns of LABs  12  preferably are separated by areas containing other types of circuitry. Thus, one area  14  between columns of LABs  12  may include a column of digital signal processing (“DSP”) blocks (also known as multiplier-accumulator blocks, or MAC blocks). Columns of different types of random access memory (“RAM”) also may be provided. In a preferred embodiment, some of the RAMs, such as those in columns  15 , may be relatively small—e.g., 512 bytes, while others such as those in column  150  may be somewhat larger—e.g., 4K bytes. In addition, preferably interspersed less frequently throughout device  10  are much larger RAM areas  151  which may be 512K bytes. Each of these RAM areas can be used as memory—i.e., RAM or ROM—or may be configured as logic, particularly P-TERM-type logic.  
         [0029]     Input/output elements preferably are located in regions  16  around the periphery of the array. Preferably, clock circuitry such as loop circuitry (e.g., phase-locked loops (“PLLs”)) and other auxiliary circuits for timing, etc., preferably are provided at convenient locations within the array, such as in regions  17 , shown at the right and left sides of the array.  
         [0030]     It is to be understood from the fragmentary nature of  FIG. 1  that device  10  is substantially larger, containing substantially more LABs  12 , DSP areas  14 , RAMs  15 ,  150  and  151 , and other elements, than are present in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0031]     Although the invention has been described up to now in terms of the HardCopy™ STRATIX™ family of devices, it should be noted that the invention also can be implemented on an MPLD or hybrid MPLD based on the building-block architecture of copending, commonly-assigned United States Patent Publication No. 2004/0111691, or the “hybrid logic element” of copending, commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/884,460, filed Jul. 2, 2004, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its respective entirety.  
         [0032]     Device  10  represents the layout of a device that may be an unprogrammed mask-programmable logic device, without the programming metallization layers, or a plan of the logic layers of a programmed device in which the programming metallization layers are not shown. A cross-section of a mask-programmed version of device  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , a substrate  20  carries I/O regions  16 , PLL region  17 , LABs  12 , DSP areas  14  and memory areas  15  (memory areas  150 ,  151  are not shown but also are carried by substrate  20 ). The particular shapes given to areas  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  17  are for illustration purposes only and do not attempt to represent the true cross-sectional shapes of those areas. As part of those illustrative shapes, U-shaped areas  21  represent contacts where programming metallization layer  22  makes connections to interconnect those areas, while V-shaped areas  23  represent areas where programming metallization layer  24  makes connections to program the programmable features of those areas.  
         [0033]     It should be noted that while areas  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  17  are shown as monolithic areas, they are constructed from doped silicon layers and metallization layers that are not shown, as well as insulating layers between those layers, also not shown, as is well known in the art. In addition, programming metallization layers  22  and  24  are separated from those other layers, and from each other, by insulating layers that are not shown, as is well known in the art.  
         [0034]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , I/O areas  16  do not have any V-shaped areas  23 . That is because, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, I/O areas  16  are not mask-programmable, but rather are electrically programmable as in a conventional PLD. A conceptual schematic representation of an I/O region  30 , associated with an I/O pin  300 , is shown in  FIG. 3 . The main component of I/O region  30  is programmable I/O buffer  31 , having most of the functions described above, including the ability to handle different I/O standards (both single-ended and differential) at different voltages, as well as programmable pull-up, drive strength and slew rate controls. All of those functions are determined by the states of programming bits shown collectively at  32 . Region  30  preferably also includes a serializer-deserializer (SERDES) module  33  with clock-data recovery (CDR) capability.  
         [0035]     Connections to the device power supply  34  and ground  35  are provided through the structure of device  10  as is standard in integrated circuit devices. Connections  36  to neighboring I/O regions (not shown) are provided primarily to allow region  30  to borrow a pin  300  form a neighboring region  30  to accommodate a differential signaling standard. If the differential signaling standard is used by a particular pin  300  of device  10  as originally designed and programmed (including mask programming of most of device  10  and electrical programming of regions  30 ), and then because of a change in environment the programming of device  10  must be redesigned so that that pin  300  uses a single-ended signaling standard, there should be no difficulty in electrically reprogramming region  30  to accommodate that change. However, in a case where a single-ended signaling standard is used by a particular pin  300  of device  10  as originally designed and programmed (including mask programming of most of device  10  and electrical programming of regions  30 ), and then because of a change in environment the programming of device  10  must be redesigned so that that pin  300  uses a differential signaling standard, that could be more difficult if both of the neighboring pins  300  are used for other functions.  
         [0036]     However, because connections  36  are provided, it may be possible to use those connections to direct signals—which are constrained by programming metallization layer  24  to arrive at a particular region  30  expecting access to a particular pin  300 —to one of the neighboring regions  30  (and neighboring pin  300 ). This could free up a pin for use in differential signaling with a neighboring pin. This potential ability to redirect signals to neighboring regions  30  also may allow device pinouts to be changed slightly if environmental changes call for such change.  
         [0037]     Although the programming bits for region  30  are shown as being clustered in area  32 , in fact the programming bits are likely to be scattered around regions  30 , or even located elsewhere in device  10 . For example, in at least some members of the aforementioned HARDCOPY™ family of mask-programmable logic devices available from Altera Corporation, PLLs  17  are reprogrammable. Although the user of those devices does not have access to the programming bits for PLLs  17 , the user logic does have such access, and may be able to change the characteristics of PLLs  17  through operation of logic in accordance with the user design. In those devices, the programming bits are stored in Configuration State Registers (CSRs), shown (illustratively only) as areas  170  in  FIG. 1 . In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, configuration bits  32  may be stored in CSRs  170 .  
         [0038]     Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, PLLs  17  may be programmable not only by the user logic, but also by the user, who in accordance with the invention may be given access to the CSRs for PLLs  17  instead of, or in addition to, the CSRs for I/O regions  16 ,  30 . Although in  FIG. 2 , PLLs  17  are shown as having programming connections  23 , those connections may be omitted in an embodiment where the user is given programming control over the PLLs  17 . Or it may be that connections  23  are used to program some characteristics of PLLs  17 , with the user programming being limited to other characteristics. The same may be true of I/O regions  16 ,  30 , which may be provided with connections  23  (not shown) for that purpose.  
         [0039]     The programming of configuration bits  32  is carried out by the user preferably using standard programming software such as the QUARTUS® software referred to above. One or more pins preferably are provided on device  10  for programming functions. As is well known in the art, the programming pins may be dedicated, or may have other functions during normal operation, with the programming function being invoked by applying special voltages to specified pins. The special voltages may be a particular pattern on a particular set of pins, or, more usually, an especially high voltage applied to a particular pin. The configuration bits may be loaded from a nonvolatile storage (e.g., flash memory) located on device  10 , or, to save space on device  10 , from an off-device source. Whether the configuration bits are loaded from on device  10  or off device  10  is one of the factors in determining whether the programming pins are dedicated or are shared with other uses.  
         [0040]     MPLD  10  according to the present invention may be used in many kinds of electronic devices. One possible use is in a data processing system  900  shown in  FIG. 4 . Data processing system  900  may include one or more of the following components: a processor  901 ; memory  902 ; I/O circuitry  903 ; and peripheral devices  904 . These components are coupled together by a system bus  905  and are populated on a circuit board  906  which is contained in an end-user system  907 .  
         [0041]     System  900  can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as computer networking, data networking, instrumentation, video processing, digital signal processing, or any other application where the advantage of using programmable or reprogrammable logic is desirable. MPLD  10  can be used to perform a variety of different logic functions. For example, MPLD  10  can be configured as a processor or controller that works in cooperation with processor  901 . MPLD  10  may also be used as an arbiter for arbitrating access to a shared resources in system  900 . In yet another example, MPLD  10  can be configured as an interface between processor  901  and one of the other components in system  900 . It should be noted that system  900  is only exemplary, and that the true scope and spirit of the invention should be indicated by the following claims.  
         [0042]     Various technologies can be used to implement MPLDs  10  as described above and incorporating this invention.  
         [0043]     It will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention, and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.

Technology Category: 5