I/O and memory bus system for DFPs and units with two- or multi-dimensional programmable cell architectures

1. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Integrated Circuit comprising:

a cell structure including (a) configurable cells in a two-dimensional array and (b) a configurable internal interconnection that interconnects the configurable cells; and

at least one dedicated hardwired interface unit that:

is separate from the plurality of configurable cells;

is connected to the configurable internal interconnection;

is adapted for transferring processing data between the configurable cells and an external unit at runtime, while the configurable cells are operational;

has at least one state machine controlling said transfer;

includes a protocol generator adapted for generating data transfer protocols; and

has at least one dedicated line transmitting signals to said external unit and at least one dedicated line receiving signals from said external unit.

2. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the external unit is a data processing unit.

3. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 2 , wherein said data processing unit is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

4. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the external unit is a memory.

5. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 4 , wherein said memory is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

6. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells comprise dedicated Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs).

7. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 6 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells are reconfigurable at runtime without disturbing other configurable cells, so that processing by others of the configurable cells continues during the reconfiguration of the at least some of the configurable cells.

8. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein the interface unit further comprises a synchronization arrangement adapted for synchronizing the configurable cell array with the external unit.

9. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein the interface unit further comprises an address generator adapted for generating addresses transferred to the external unit.

10. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit operates as one of an arithmetic coprocessor and an arithmetic processor.

11. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Intergrated Circuit operates as a processor.

12. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 2 , 3 , and 4 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit processes algorithms.

13. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the external unit is a peripheral device.

14. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Integrated Circuit comprising:

a cell structure including (a) configurable cells in a two-dimensional array and (b) a configurable internal interconnection that interconnects the configurable cells; and

at least one dedicated hardwired interface unit that:

is separate from the plurality of configurable cells;

is connected to the configurable internal interconnection;

is adapted for transferring processing data between the configurable cells and an external unit at runtime, while the configurable cells are operational;

has at least one state machine controlling said transfer;

has at least one dedicated line transmitting signals to said external unit and at least one dedicated line receiving signals from said external unit; and

combines individual and unrelated lines of the internal interconnection to form a FPGA internal bus.

15. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 14 , wherein the external unit is a data processing unit.

16. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 15 , wherein said data processing unit is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

17. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 14 , wherein the external unit is a memory.

18. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 17 , wherein said memory is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

19. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells comprise dedicated Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs).

20. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 19 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells are reconfigurable at runtime without disturbing other configurable cells, so that processing by others of the configurable cells continues during the reconfiguration of the at least some of the configurable cells.

21. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the interface unit further comprises a synchronization arrangement adapted for synchronizing the configurable cell array with the external unit.

22. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the interface unit further comprises a protocol generator adapted for generating data transfer protocols.

23. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the interface unit further comprises an address generator adapted for generating addresses transferred to the external unit.

24. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit operates as one of an arithmetic coprocessor and an arithmetic processor.

25. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Intergrated Circuit operates as a processor.

26. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 15 , 16 , and 17 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit processes algorithms.

27. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 14 , wherein the external unit is a peripheral device.

28. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Integrated Circuit comprising:

a cell structure including (a) configurable cells in a two-dimensional array and (b) a configurable internal interconnection that interconnects the configurable cells; and

at least one dedicated hardwired interface unit that:

is separate from the plurality of configurable cells;

is connected to the configurable internal interconnection;

is adapted for transferring processing data between the configurable cells and an external unit at runtime, while the configurable cells are operational;

has at least one state machine controlling said transfer;

has at least one dedicated line transmitting signals to said external unit and at least one dedicated line receiving signals from said external unit; and

defines a FPGA internal bus by a configurable connection of individual and unrelated lines of the internal interconnection to the interface unit.

29. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 28 , wherein the external unit is a data processing unit.

30. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 29 , wherein said data processing unit is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

31. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 28 , wherein the external unit is a memory.

32. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 31 , wherein said memory is external to the FPGA Integrated Circuit.

33. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells comprise dedicated Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs).

34. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 33 , wherein at least some of the configurable cells are reconfigurable at runtime without disturbing other configurable cells, so that processing by others of the configurable cells continues during the reconfiguration of the at least some of the configurable cells.

35. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the interface unit further comprises a synchronization arrangement adapted for synchronizing the configurable cell array with the external unit.

36. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 28 , 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the interface unit further comprises a protocol generator adapted for generating data transfer protocols.

37. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the interface unit further comprises an address generator adapted for generating addresses transferred to the external unit.

38. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit operates as one of an arithmetic coprocessor and an arithmetic processor.

39. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Intergrated Circuit operates as a processor.

40. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to any one of claims 29 , 30 , and 31 , wherein the transfer occurs while the FPGA Integrated Circuit processes algorithms.

41. The FPGA Integrated Circuit according to claim 28 , wherein the external unit is a peripheral device.

42. A system comprising:

a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Integrated Circuit including a cell structure that includes (a) configurable cells in a two-dimensional array and (b) a configurable internal interconnection that interconnects the configurable cells; and

at least one dedicated hardwired interface unit that:

is separate from the plurality of configurable cells;

is connected to the configurable internal interconnection;

is adapted for, at runtime, while the configurable cells are operational, transferring processing data between the configurable cells and an external unit;

has at least one state machine controlling said transfer;

includes a protocol generator adapted for generating data transfer protocols; and

has at least one dedicated line transmitting signals to said external unit and at least one dedicated line receiving signals from said external unit.