Programmable circuit and related computing machine and method

A programmable circuit operable to:

• download from a memory first firmware that represents a first configuration;
• operate in the first configuration;
• download from the memory second firmware that represents a second configuration;
• and
• operate in the second configuration.

A programmable-circuit unit, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a programmable circuit coupled to the memory and operable to,
• receive firmware from an external source, the firmware representing a configuration of the programmable circuit,
• store the firmware in the memory, and
• download the firmware from the memory.

A programmable-circuit unit, comprising:

• a memory operable to store first and second firmware data that respectively represent first and second configurations;
• and
• a programmable circuit coupled to the memory and operable to,
• download the first firmware from the memory,
• operate in the first configuration,
• download the second firmware from the memory, and
• operate in the second configuration.

A programmable-circuit unit, comprising:

• a memory operable to store first, second, third, and fourth firmware that respectively represent first, second, third, and fourth configurations;
• a first programmable circuit coupled to the memory and operable to,
• download the first firmware from the memory,
• operate in the first configuration,
• download the second firmware from the memory, and
• operate in the second configuration;
• and
• a second programmable circuit coupled to the memory and to the first programmable circuit and operable to,
• download the third firmware data from the memory,
• operate in the third configuration,
• download the fourth firmware from the memory, and
• operate in the fourth configuration.

A computing machine, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a programmable-circuit unit coupled to the processor and comprising,
• a memory, and
• a programmable circuit coupled to the memory and operable to,
• receive from the processor firmware that represents a configuration of the programmable circuit,
• store the firmware in the memory, and
• download the firmware from the memory in response to the processor.

A computing machine, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• programmable-circuit unit coupled to the processor and comprising,
• a memory operable to store first and second firmware that respectively represent first and second configurations;
• and
• a programmable circuit operable to,
• download the first firmware from the memory,
• operate in the first configuration,
• download the second firmware from the memory in response to the processor, and
• operate in the second configuration.

A computing machine, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• programmable-circuit unit coupled to the processor and comprising,
• a memory operable to store first, second, third, and fourth firmware that respectively represent first, second, third, and fourth configurations,
• a first programmable circuit coupled to the memory and operable to,
• download the first firmware from the memory,
• operate in the first configuration,
• download the second firmware from the memory in response to the processor, and
• operate in the second configuration, and
• a second programmable circuit coupled to the memory and to the first programmable circuit and operable to,
• download the third firmware from the memory,
• operate in the third configuration,
• download the fourth firmware from the memory in response to the processor, and
• operate in the fourth configuration.

A method, comprising:

• providing firmware to a programmable circuit, the firmware representing a configuration of the circuit;
• storing the configuration data in a memory with the programmable circuit;
• and
• downloading the configuration data from the memory into the programmable circuit.

A method, comprising:

• downloading into a programmable circuit first firmware that represents a first configuration;
• operating the programmable circuit in the first configuration;
• downloading into the programmable circuit second firmware that represents a second configuration;
• and
• operating the programmable circuit in the second configuration after downloading the second firmware.

A method, comprising:

• downloading first and second firmware into first and second programmable circuits, respectively;
• operating the first and second programmable circuits in the first and second configurations, respectively;
• downloading third and fourth firmware into the first and second programmable circuits, respectively, via the first programmable circuit;
• and
• operating the first and second programmable circuits in the third configuration and fourth configurations, respectively.