Method and apparatus for multiple context and high reliability operation of programmable logic devices
AssigneeXilinx, Inc.
InventorStephen M. Trimberger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus to provide triple modular redundancy (TMR) in one mode of operation, while providing multiple context selection during a second mode of operation. Intelligent voting circuitry facilitates both modes of operation, while further enhancing the robustness of the design when used in a TMR mode of operation. Various addressing schemes are provided, which allow dual use of the configuration data lines as selection signals using one addressing scheme, while allowing for dual use of the configuration address lines as selection signals using the second addressing scheme.
Claims20
An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
- a plurality of reconfigurable logic resources;
- a plurality of memory cells programmably coupled to the plurality of reconfigurable logic resources and adapted to configure the reconfigurable logic resources to perform logic functions in response to receiving configuration data to be stored within the memory cells;
- and
- a plurality of selection circuits coupled to receive a mode select signal and adapted to couple a set of memory cells to the plurality of reconfigurable logic resources in response to the mode select signal,
- wherein the set of memory cells is selected from a plurality of sets of memory cells configured to have the same configuration data in response to a first state of the mode select signal, and
- wherein the set of memory cells is selected from the plurality of sets of memory cells configured to have different configuration data in response to a second state of the mode select signal.
A method of operating a programmable logic device, comprising:
- allocating multiple configuration arrays;
- programming each configuration array with identical configuration data in a first mode of operation;
- programming each configuration array with different configuration data in a second mode of operation;
- selecting one of the identically configured configuration arrays in accordance with a majority rule during the first mode of operation;
- and
- selecting one of the differently configured configuration arrays in accordance with a multiple context rule during the second mode of operation.
A method of configuring a programmable logic device (PLD), comprising:
- allocating a configuration memory array within the PLD;
- generating multiple configuration data sets, each configuration data set containing multiple configuration data frames;
- writing each configuration data frame of a single configuration data set into discontinuous address locations of the configuration memory array when each of the multiple configuration data sets are different;
- and
- writing each configuration data frame of a single configuration data set into continuous address locations of the configuration memory array when each of the multiple configuration data sets are equal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.