Programmable application specific integrated circuit using logic circuits to program antifuses therein

Abstract

A programmable ASIC architecture allows the size of programming transistors to be reduced along with other parts of the device as advances in processing technology are made. Programming enable circuits are used to allow a programming address shift register having fewer bits to be used in the programming of antifuses. Methods of simultaneously programming multiple corresponding antifuses to speed ASIC programming are disclosed. Aspects of the architecture allow output protection for digital logic elements in modules to be eliminated, some testing transistors to be eliminated, the sizes of other testing transistors to be reduced, capacitances on interconnect wire segments to be reduced, some programming transistors to be eliminated, and the sizes of other programming transistors to be reduced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.