Configurable electrical circuit having configurable logic elements and configurable interconnects

A configurable system comprising:

• one master configurable logic array;
• a plurality of slave configurable logic arrays;
• at least one memory;
• said master configurable logic array having
• means for retrieving data from said at least one memory,
• means for first using said data for configuring itself, and
• means for passing some of said data to said
• plurality of slave configurable logic arrays.

A configurable system comprising:

• a master configurable logic array;
• a plurality of slave configurable logic arrays;
• and
• a controller including
• means for addressing said configurable logic arrays and
• means for sending data to said configurable logic arrays;
• wherein said master configurable logic array includes
• means for being configured by said data from said controller and
• means for configuring said slave configurable logic arrays.

A programmable circuit comprising:

• a plurality of configurable logic elements, each configurable logic element having a plurality of input leads and at least one output lead and having a programming means to cause said configurable logic element to perform a selected logic function;
• a plurality of input/output ports;
• a group of interconnect lines;
• means for programmably connecting each of said input leads of each of said configurable logic elements to at least one of said interconnect lines;
• means for programmably connecting said at least one output lead of each of said configurable logic elements to at least one of said interconnect lines;
• means for programmably connecting each of said input/output ports to at least one of said interconnect lines;
• and
• means for programmably connecting each one of said interconnect lines to at least one other of said interconnect lines;
• whereby each of said input leads and each of said at least one output lead of each of said configurable logic elements can be connected directly or indirectly to each of said input/output ports and to each other, and whereby each of said configurable logic elements can be programmed to perform a selected one of a plurality of logic functions, and said configurable logic elements can be connected to each other and to said input/output ports in a selectable manner.