Apparatus and method for operating an integrated circuit
AssigneeSGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
InventorMaurice Le Van Suu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit comprising a logic processor and a fuzzy logic coprocessor is disclosed which processes a plurality of analog inputs. The logic processor and fuzzy logic processor are combined in the form of a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit accepts a plurality of analog inputs which are digitized and provided as output to a display peripheral or are used to control an actuator peripheral such as a control unit for a valve. The integrated circuit includes means for loading or exchanging informational elements with other units of an installation.
Claims13
A method for putting into operation an integrated circuit that comprises a logic processor, a program memory of the logic processor, a fuzzy logic coprocessor, and a random-access memory linked with the fuzzy logic processor, said method comprising the steps of:
- producing an address signal by the logic processor to gain access to a memory zone of the random-access memory;
- receiving, by the logic processor directly through an analog-to-digital converter, one or more information elements corresponding to one or more analog inputs;
- processing the one or more information elements;
- receiving signals from outside the integrated circuit to an input/output circuit of the integrated circuit, said received signals including executable program instructions to be executed by the fuzzy logic coprocessor;
- providing, under control of the logic processor, electrical states corresponding to the received signals on a data bus linked with the random-access memory;
- and
- producing a command signal with the logic processor in order to store information in the memory zone of the random-access memory that has been accessed, said information representing the executable program instructions to be executed by the fuzzy logic coprocessor and wherein said information corresponds to the electrical states.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a logic processor;
- a data bus;
- an address bus;
- a program memory coupled to the address bus and data bus;
- an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the logic processor;
- a multiplexer accepting a plurality of analog inputs having an output coupled to the analog-to-digital converter;
- a fuzzy logic coprocessor which receives, from a source external to the integrated circuit, program instructions capable of being executed by the fuzzy logic coprocessor, wherein the data bus and address bus couples the logic processor to the fuzzy logic coprocessor;
- and
- a memory of the fuzzy logic coprocessor, the memory having an address decoder, the address decoder accepting an output of the multiplexer of the fuzzy logic coprocessor and which is coupled to the address bus of the logic processor unit, and wherein the memory is configured to store the received program instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.