Quickturn Design Systems, Inc.

John A Maher

Mitchell Grant Poplack

A target interface system for flexibly routing and timing communication signals exchanged between selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. Under the control of a host system, the target interface system samples an output data signal provided by the host system and includes a reconfigurable datapath for flexibly routing the sampled data signal to a selected target I/O pin of the target interface system. The selected target I/O pin provides the sampled data signal as an outgoing target data signal to a target system and likewise receives an incoming target data signal from the target system. Upon sampling the incoming target data signal, the target interface system flexibly routes the sampled data signal to the host system as an input data signal. The target interface system thereby facilitates exchanges of communication signals between the host system and the target system.

System and method for providing flexible signal routing and timing

A target interface system for interfacing selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. The target interface system includes target interface logic that is distributed among a plurality of reconfigurable logic devices. Being coupled via a serial link, the reconfigurable logic devices each have an input connection for receiving incoming data packets and an output connection for providing outgoing data packets. The serial link couples the input and output connections of successive reconfigurable logic devices to form a dataring structure for distributing the data packets among the reconfigurable logic devices. Thereby, the dataring structure maintains data synchronization among the reconfigurable logic devices such that the distribution of the target interface logic among the reconfigurable logic devices is transparent to software.

Extensible memory architecture and communication protocol for supporting multiple devices in low-bandwidth, asynchronous applications

A signal conversion system for interfacing selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. The signal conversion system converts selected logic signals from one system component into a pair of differential logic signals and provides the pair of differential logic signals to a second system component, resolving any logical and/or temporal artifacts. While one or more of the selected logic signals change signal state, the signal conversion system maintains the pair of differential logic signals in a first valid combined signal state until the signal state of the selected logic signals corresponds to a second valid combined signal state for the pair of differential logic signals. The signal verification system then updates the pair of differential logic signals to have the second valid combined signal state. The system components thereby can communicate, exchanging differential communication signals while maintaining duty cycle and avoiding signaling glitches.

System and method for resolving artifacts in differential signals

A target interface system for interfacing selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. Being reconfigurable to support an extensive range of conventional input/output technologies, the target interface system downloads a selected image associated with a desired input/output technology prior to runtime. The selected image identifies an appropriate output driver supply voltage, and any auxiliary voltages are controlled as functions of the output driver supply voltage to limit voltage inconsistencies. Defaulting each voltage to its least dangerous state when unprogrammed, the target interface system subsequently monitors the voltages, disabling the input/output connections if a problem is detected. The target interface system likewise detects when a selected system component is absent, unpowered, and/or wrongly powered and provides contention detection. Thereby, the target interface system can facilitate communication among the system components while inhibiting damage to the target interface system and/or the system components.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

John A Maher