The present invention relates generally to electrical circuits and, more particularly, to reconfiguration of programmable logic devices.
A programmable logic device, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), may be used in a variety of applications. A programmable logic device (PLD) offers the advantage of being reprogrammable in the field (e.g., while on the circuit board in its operational environment).
A drawback of a conventional PLD is that, while being programmed (which may take seconds to load an external configuration bitstream), the PLD enters a sleep state, with its input and output pins typically disabled (e.g., non-responsive to input signals while providing indeterminate output signals). If the PLD is in a critical path or is used to control critical functions, these drawbacks may be unacceptable. Furthermore, glitches on the output signals provided by the PLD during programming or after reconfiguration generally would be unacceptable while the PLD is controlling critical functions. As a result, there is a need for improved programming and configuration techniques for PLDs.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a programmable logic device includes a plurality of input/output blocks having boundary scan cells, wherein the boundary scan cells are adapted to precondition registers within a logic area of the programmable logic device with desired signal values prior to release of control of the input/output blocks to user-defined logic provided by a reconfiguration; a plurality of logic blocks; configuration memory cells adapted to store first configuration data for configuration of the logic blocks and the input/output blocks of the programmable logic device; non-volatile memory adapted to store second configuration data and transfer the second configuration data to the configuration memory cells for the reconfiguration of the programmable logic device; and at least a first data port adapted to receive commands for controlling the reconfiguration of the programmable logic device.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a programmable logic device includes means for receiving commands for controlling reconfiguration of the programmable logic device; a plurality of input/output blocks and corresponding input/output pins; means for capturing current output states of the input/output blocks and providing as output signals via the input/output pins during the reconfiguration at least one of the current output states and desired output states, wherein the capturing and providing means further provides an input path to the programmable logic device via the input/output pins during the reconfiguration and prior to releasing control of the input/output blocks to user-defined logic; a plurality of logic blocks; and means for storing configuration data for configuration of the logic blocks and the input/output blocks of the programmable logic device.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for performing a reconfiguration of a programmable logic device includes capturing current output signal values of the programmable logic device; reconfiguring the programmable logic device while providing from the programmable logic device at least one of the captured output signal values and desired output signal values; and providing input data to the programmable logic device after the reconfiguring to precondition registers with the input data prior to releasing control to logic provided by the reconfiguring.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a programmable logic device includes a plurality of input/output blocks; a plurality of logic blocks; configuration memory cells adapted to store first configuration data for a configuration of the logic blocks and the input/output blocks of the programmable logic device; non-volatile memory adapted to store second configuration data and transfer the second configuration data to the configuration memory cells for a reconfiguration of the programmable logic device; at least a first data port adapted to receive commands for reconfiguring the programmable logic device by transferring the second configuration data from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory; and boundary scan cells within the input/output blocks configured to hold one or more of the I/O pins of the programmable logic device in a known logic state during transfer of the second configuration data from the non-volatile memory to the configuration memory cells.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for reconfiguring a programmable logic device includes capturing current output signal values of the programmable logic device; reconfiguring the programmable logic device while providing from the programmable logic device at least one of the captured output signal values; and preconditioning registers within logic blocks of the programmable logic device with desired signal values prior to releasing control to user-defined logic provided by the reconfiguring.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for reconfiguring a programmable logic device includes storing first configuration data within the programmable logic device that configures the programmable logic device; storing second configuration data within the programmable logic device; reconfiguring the programmable logic device with the second configuration data; and maintaining one or more input/output pins of the programmable logic device in a known logic state during the reconfiguring.
The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the present invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.
Embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures.
PLD 100 also includes one or more data ports 112 and/or 114, which for example may be used for programming PLD 100 (e.g., non-volatile memory 106 and/or configuration memory, as explained further herein). For example, data port 112 may represent a programming port such as a central processing unit (CPU) port, also referred to as a peripheral data port or a sysCONFIG programming port. Data port 114 may represent, for example, a programming port such as a joint test action group (JTAG) port by employing standards such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1149.1 or 1532 standards.
Non-volatile memory 106, if present, may be used to store configuration data within PLD 100 for transfer to the configuration memory of PLD 100 upon power up or during reconfiguration of PLD 100. This may drastically reduce the time to reconfigure PLD 100 relative to an external bitstream (e.g., reduce the time from seconds to microseconds for loading of configuration data into the configuration memory).
Non-volatile memory 106 may also be used to provide background programming functionality for PLD 100. For example for background programming, PLD 100 may remain in user mode, based on the configuration data stored in configuration memory within PLD 100, while non-volatile memory 106 is programmed with new configuration data (e.g., a new user defined pattern). Once the new configuration data is stored in non-volatile memory 106, this data can be transferred from non-volatile memory 106 to the configuration memory to reconfigure PLD 100, a process sometimes referred to as refresh. As explained further herein, the refresh process can be initiated by a signal or instruction provided to data port 112 or data port 114 (e.g., pulsing data port 112 or providing a JTAG refresh instruction via data port 114). Furthermore, as explained further herein in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, full control of the logical values of the output signals provided by PLD 100 during the refresh process can still be provided.
As a specific example,
Configuration memory cells 204 (e.g., volatile SRAM cells or other types of memory, such as fuses or anti-fuses) are used in a conventional manner to store configuration data, which determines the user defined functions of PLD 200 (e.g., determines programmable functions of I/O blocks 102 and logic blocks 104). Control logic 206 controls the internal transfer of the configuration data from non-volatile memory 106 to configuration memory cells 204, as would be understood by one skilled in the art.
It should be understood that flash memory represents an exemplary type of memory for non-volatile memory 106, but other types of non-volatile memory (e.g., EECMOS) that can be reprogrammed once or repeatedly may be substituted for non-volatile memory 106. Furthermore, either non-volatile memory 106 or configuration memory cells 204 may be programmed (i.e., receive and store information in its memory) to store configuration data for PLD 200, but the device functionality of PLD 200 is determined by the information stored in configuration memory cells 204. Thus, PLD 200 is configured (including reconfiguration or partial reconfiguration) when information is programmed into configuration memory cells 204.
It should also be understood, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, that non-volatile memory 106 and configuration memory cells 204 may each be programmed (including reprogrammed) via data port 112 or data port 114, depending upon the desired application or design requirements. Further details regarding programming may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,823 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0189962-A1, published Sep. 1, 2005.
In general, during programming of configuration memory cells 204 and reconfiguration of the PLD (e.g., PLD 100), it would be advantageous to continue to support system operation functions. However, conventional approaches typically used an external bitstream to provide the configuration data directly to the configuration memory of the PLD, while the PLD's output signals are tri-stated or held to logical high or low values. In contrast, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, techniques are disclosed herein to use background programming to provide the configuration data to the PLD and, during configuration, provide desired PLD output signals that remain glitch-free during the transition from configuration to user mode of the PLD.
For example,
For example, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation's ispVM software is a Windows-based tool set that facilitates the programming of their PLDs. The ispVM Embedded tool generates C code that, when compiled for and executed on a wide range of embedded processors, enables the programming of the PLDs. Consequently, the ispVM software or other conventional PLD programming software can issue the programming commands directly, such as during prototyping, or generate, for example, an industry-standard Serial Vector Format (SVF) file for reconfiguration in the field. Thus, for example, the SVF file may be used to control the background programming, leave alone operation, refresh process, and the known-state exit operation (e.g., create a delay period for users to apply the vectors to precondition the registers), which are described further herein.
In reference to
Using the boundary scan cells at operation 306, the I/O states are held at the captured or desired values and the PLD is reconfigured or refreshed (308) by copying the configuration data from non-volatile memory 106 to configuration memory cells 204. The reconfiguration may be initiated, for example, by pulsing or toggling data port 112 or providing a JTAG instruction (Refresh) to data port 114.
The refresh process may be verified prior to initiating the release of the I/O to the newly configured user-defined logic (operation 310). Optionally, internal registers within the I/O or other portions of the PLD may be preconditioned with data to prevent glitches from occurring during the transition to user-defined logic control of the I/O (e.g., the data for preconditioning provided via input paths through the boundary scan cells). After providing the JTAG instruction (e.g., BYPASS or EXIT_EXTEST), the PLD is now configured and operating based upon the new configuration data, with the I/O output signals under control of the newly configured user logic of the PLD. Furthermore, if the internal registers were preconditioned, the logic outputs exit in the desired state determined by the inputs to the user control logic.
The techniques illustrated may also be referred to herein by the operations of “leave alone I/O” and “known-state exit.” The leave alone I/O operation refers to the ability to program in background mode and, while the PLD is refreshed, hold the state of the I/O output pins in a known logic state (e.g., generally operations 302 through 308 of flowchart 300). The known state may be based on the I/O values captured or based on a known system vector that is provided to set the I/O values based on user-predefined settings. Thus, the leave alone I/O allows critical signals (e.g., reset and power enable signals provided by the PLD in a system) to not glitch and to not go active (e.g., float or provide undesired values) while the PLD is reconfigured.
The known state exit operation refers to the updating of some or all of the internal register states with predefined values (e.g., the optional portion of operation 310 of flowchart 300). The values may be provided via I/O pins and input paths through the boundary scan (BSCAN) cells (e.g., as discussed in reference to
The leave alone operation may be implemented, for example, by using the BSCAN cells within the PLD to capture current I/O pin output states and/or optionally overlay with a custom I/O vector to set desired I/O pin output values. For example,
BSCAN circuit 400 (BSCAN cell) illustrates that one or more BSCAN registers may be used to store the sampled I/O value to provide as an output signal via an I/O pin (e.g., using the JTAG instruction SAMPLE provided via data port 114 to place output states in BSCAN cell preload registers) and/or overlay a custom vector of user-defined values to provide as the output signal via the I/O pin (e.g., using the JTAG instruction PRELOAD). If custom vector values are provided, these can be preloaded into the PLD just prior to the refresh process (e.g., during operation 304 of flowchart 300). The I/O control can then be transferred to BSCAN circuit 400 (e.g., by using the JTAG instruction EXTEST), with the dotted path and bold arrow illustrating I/O values provided to the I/O pin based on custom vector values or captured I/O values.
BSCAN circuit 500 illustrates another exemplary circuit implementation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, for a BSCAN cell. As an example, BSCAN circuit 500 shows an exemplary input path 502 via the I/O pin, where input path 502 is not blocked by BSCAN circuit 500 and is always available as an input path for providing data into the PLD (e.g., before the refresh process to provide desired I/O values or after the refresh process to precondition internal registers with desired values). Consequently, data and other information may be provided via the input path to user logic and/or registers within the PLD (e.g., to provide values for the known-state exit operation).
For example,
Furthermore, user register 606 in logic area 604 may not be accessible and may store an unknown value, as shown in
Alternatively as an example, if the global reset signal is hardwired to the reset terminal of user register 606 and the global reset signal is asserted during the refresh process, then user register 606 will store a logical low value rather than the desired logical high value. Consequently, the known-state exit operation would be required to restore the logical high value in user register 606 and avoid output signal glitches when releasing control of the I/O pin to the new user-defined logic.
Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide reconfiguration techniques for PLDs. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, techniques are disclosed to provide transparent field reconfiguration such that the PLD can be reconfigured without interrupting system operation (e.g., to provide dynamic programming of programmable devices with embedded volatile fuses (e.g., configuration SRAM) and embedded non-volatile fuses (e.g., flash memory) for a minimally disruptive reconfiguration solution for the PLD).
In general, many system designs, within which the PLD operates, require 99.999% up-time. For example, by using background programming, the PLD continues to operate while the external bitstream is loaded into non-volatile memory. Furthermore, by driving glitch-free known values as output signals via the I/O circuits, the PLD can provide valuable functionality to the system in which it operates, such as to continue to provide power enable, reset, or other critical signals (e.g., which may be used to bring up the system) while the PLD is reconfigured (e.g., in an on-the-fly reconfiguration procedure). Thus, techniques are disclosed herein to control the state of the logic within the PLD prior to exiting the configuration process, which allows the device logic to drive the correct levels on its outputs immediately, when control of I/O is passed back to the PLD logic at the end of the configuration cycle.
Embodiments described above illustrate but do not limit the invention. It should also be understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims.
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