Intel Corporation

Chameleon Systems, Inc.

Peter Shing Fai Lam

Dani Y Dakhil

Shaila Hanrahan

Jin-Sheng Shyr

A reconfigurable chip using reconfigurable functional units is modified to better implement linear feedback shift registers. The reconfigurable functional unit has its input multiplexer unit modified so that it can select a combined value. The combined values include some of the bits from the output of the reconfigurable functional unit as well as carry bit from another reconfigurable functional unit. This can significantly reduce the space required to implement linear feedback shift registers which are useful in many digital communication systems.

Modification to reconfigurable functional unit in a reconfigurable chip to perform linear feedback shift register function

A reconfigurable chip having reconfigurable elements uses an interconnection system which reduces the maximum signal rise and fall time. In one embodiment, the maximum rise and fall time is reduced by providing bypass paths. In another embodiment, buffers are used to reduce signal rise and fall times. Connections between each of the elements are provided by either providing a loop path or by providing bidirectional arrangements of the buffers.

Data transfer on reconfigurable chip

A configuration bit layout for a reconfigurable chip includes address bits stored along with configuration bits. The blocks of data are loaded onto the reconfigurable chip from an external memory and the address information is decoded to load the configuration bits onto the correct locations in the reconfigurable chip. In this way, configuration data need not be stored sequentially in the external memory. Configurations can be allocated into different slices of the reconfigurable chip as well.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Peter Shing Fai Lam