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US 5,563,526 AGranted
Programmable mixed-mode integrated circuit architecture
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsRoy A. Hastings, Todd M. Neale, Brad Whitney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A programmable mixed-mode circuit (180) has both digital (215,217) and analog (120,120',120") circuit portions. The digital portion (215,217) is provided by programmable digital logic. The analog portion (120,120',120") has a variety of analog circuits, including voltage references (218), high-speed comparators (208,209) and circuits (80) that are selectively configurable to provide operational amplifier or comparator functions. The analog circuits (122-125) are interconnected by programmable switch elements (128-131,160-167) so that the connection of the analog circuits to one another, to input or output pins (A0-A3,B0-B3,C0-C3) and to the digital circuitry (215,217) can be programmed.
Claims80
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable distal logic states;
- at least one configurable analog circuit having an input and an output;
- and circuitry for selectively configuring the at least one analog circuit in accordance with the programmable digital logic states and, wherein said circuit has said programmable digital logic states being user programmable, wherein said programmable device further comprises circuitry connected to said circuit having programmable digital logic states to preset the digital logic states into a known state on power-up.
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- at least one configurable analog circuit having an input and an output;
- and circuitry for selectively configuring the at least one analog circuit in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein said at least one configurable analog circuit comprises configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity of said at least one analog circuit, and
- wherein the configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity comprises one-time programmable elements.
2 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- at least one configurable analog circuit having an input and an output;
- and circuitry for selectively configuring the at least one analog circuit in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and wherein said circuit has said programmable digital logic states being user programmable, and
- wherein said at least one configurable analog circuit comprises configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity of said at least one analog circuit and
- wherein the configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity comprises switches controlled by said digital logic states, and
- wherein at least one of said switches are connected to selectively route digital data into and out of the circuit having programmable digital logic states to bypass said at least one configurable analog circuit.
3 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- at least one configurable analog circuit having an input and an output;
- and circuitry for selectively configuring the at least one analog circuit in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein said at least one configurable analog circuit comprises configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity of said at least one analog circuit, and
- wherein the configurable circuitry for controlling interconnectivity comprises switches controlled by said digital logic states, and
- wherein said at least one configurable analog circuit comprises a plurality of configurable analog circuits, and,
- wherein at least one of said plurality of analog circuits are formed in an input/output module, said input/output module comprising a plurality of circuits that are each selectively configurable either as an operational amplifier or a comparator.
4 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- a plurality of analog circuits, each having an analog input and an analog output;
- a plurality of configurable interconnectivity controlling circuits to enable one of said input/output pins selectively connected to one of at least two of said analog circuits;
- and said circuit having programmable digital logic states being connected to said plurality of interconnectivity controlling circuits to connect a selected one of said input/output pins to a selected one of said one analog circuits in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and wherein said circuit has said programmable digital logic states being user programmable,
- wherein said circuit has said programmable digital logic states being user programmable further comprising circuitry connected to said circuit having programmable digital logic states to preset the digital logic states into a known state on power-up.
3 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- a plurality of analog circuits, each having an analog input and an analog output;
- a plurality of configurable interconnectivity controlling circuits to enable one of said input/output pins selectively connected to one of at least two of said analog circuits;
- and said circuit having programmable digital logic states being connected to said plurality of interconnectivity controlling circuits to connect a selected one of said input/output pins to a selected one of said one analog circuits in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein the configurable interconnectivity controlling circuitry comprises one-time programmable elements.
3 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- a plurality of analog circuits, each having an analog input and an analog output;
- a plurality of configurable interconnectivity controlling circuits to enable one of said input/output pins selectively connected to one of at least two of said analog circuits;
- and said circuit having programmable digital logic states being connected to said plurality of interconnectivity controlling circuits to connect a selected one of said input/output pins to a selected one of said one analog circuits in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein the configurable interconnectivity controlling circuitry comprises a plurality of switches, and
- wherein each of said switches comprises a switch network to form switch networks.
4 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- a plurality of analog circuits, each having an analog input and an analog output;
- a plurality of configurable interconnectivity controlling circuits to enable one of said input/output pins selectively connected to one of at least two of said analog circuits;
- and said circuit having programmable digital logic states being connected to said plurality of interconnectivity controlling circuits to connect a selected one of said input/output pins to a selected one of said one analog circuits in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein each analog circuit comprises a plurality of analog circuit blocks.
3 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having programmable digital logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- a plurality of analog circuits, each having an analog input and an analog output;
- a plurality of configurable interconnectivity controlling circuits to enable one of said input/output pins selectively connected to one of at least two of said analog circuits;
- and said circuit having programmable digital logic states being connected to said plurality of interconnectivity controlling circuits to connect a selected one of said input/output pins to a selected one of said one analog circuits in accordance with the programmable digital logic states, and
- wherein at least some of said plurality of analog circuits are contained in an input/output module, each input/output module comprising a plurality of circuits that are each selectively configurable either as an operational amplifier or a comparator.
3 more elements
A programmable device fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a circuit having digital logic states;
- a circuit having functional logic states;
- a plurality of input/output pins;
- an analog circuit having an input and an output;
- a transmission gate connected to receive the digital logic states to selectively connect the input/output pins to said circuit having functional logic states;
- and an analog switch connected to receive the digital logic states to selectively connect the input/output pins to said analog circuit in accordance with said digital logic states, and
- wherein said programmable device further comprise a tristate digital output driver connected to an input/output pin and at least a further analog switch connecting said input/output pin to an analog circuit, said analog switch operated in response to said digital logic states to selectively isolate said input/output pin, wherein said pin can be isolated from the analog circuit, and can function as a digital output by virtue of the connection to the digital output driver.
4 more elements
A user programmable analog device on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a user programmable digital logic array formed in said semiconductor chip;
- said programmable digital logic array producing configuration signals in a configuration logic portion and data processing functions in a functional logic portion;
- a plurality of analog circuits also fabricated in the semiconductor chip;
- circuitry for selectively configuring the interconnections and function of said at least one of the analog circuits in accordance with the configuration signals;
- and circuitry for producing data processed in accordance with said data processing functions, and,
- wherein at least one of said plurality of analog circuits comprise a circuit that is selectively configurable either as an operational amplifier or a comparator in accordance with said configuration signals.
3 more elements
A user programmable analog device on a single semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a user programmable digital logic array formed in said semiconductor chip;
- said programmable digital logic array producing configuration signals in a configuration logic portion and data processing functions in a functional logic portion;
- a plurality of analog circuits also fabricated in the semiconductor chip:
- circuitry for selectively configuring the interconnections and function of said at least one of the analog circuits in accordance with the configuration signals;
- and circuitry for producing data processed in accordance with said data processing functions, and,
- wherein at least one of said plurality of analog circuits are formed in an input/output module, said input/output module comprising a plurality of circuits being selectively configurable either as an operational amplifier or a comparator in accordance with said configuration signals.
3 more elements
A programmable integrated circuit on a single semiconductor chip, said circuit being powered by an externally applied power supply voltage, comprising:
- a plurality of analog input and output circuits for receiving and delivering analog input and output signals, said analog input and output circuits being capable of being configured to provide a number of circuit functionalities;
- a plurality of switches for selectively configuring said analog input and output circuits to provide a selected circuit functionality from among said number of circuit functionalities;
- a digital logic circuit for providing configuration signals for operating said plurality of switches to configure said analog input and output circuits to provide said selected circuit functionalities;
- a programmable digital circuit for performing digital functions and producing a digital circuit output signal;
- an analog voltage reference circuit connected to receive the power supply voltage to produce an essentially constant reference voltage output over a range of voltages of said power supply voltage, said reference voltage being selectable by said configuration signals;
- and
- said reference voltage output being connected to provide a reference voltage to at least one of said analog input and output circuits.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.