Configuration context switcher with a latch
View Patent ↗Some embodiments provide an IC with configuration context switchers. The IC includes several configurable circuits, each of which configurably performs one of several operations at any given time, based on the configuration data set that it receives at that time. The IC includes several storage circuits for storing several configuration data sets for each of the configurable circuits. The IC also includes a context switching interconnect circuit for switchably connecting the configurable circuit to different sets of storage circuits to receive different sets of configuration data sets. The context switcher includes one or more stages for re-timing the data coming from the configuration storage elements. The stages can include interconnect circuitry or storage circuitry. Some embodiments build one of the stages in the configuration data storage elements. Some embodiments encode the configuration data bits and hence utilize a decoder in the context switcher to decode the encoded configuration data.
1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
a plurality of storage circuits for storing a plurality of configuration data sets;
an interconnect circuit for retrieving different sets of configuration data from the plurality of storage circuits, wherein the retrieved configuration data set comprises a bit for toggling a current state of the interconnect circuit, wherein the interconnect circuit switches to a logic state that is opposite to the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at a first logic level, wherein the interconnect circuit maintains the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at a second logic level that is opposite of the first logic level; and
a configurable circuit for configurably performing one of a plurality of operations based on the current state of the interconnect circuit.
2. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the bit for toggling the current state of the interconnect circuit is a physical bit that is pre-charged to logic high when the interconnect circuit is not retrieving a stored set of configuration data from the plurality of storage circuits.
3. The IC of claim 2 , wherein the physical bit is driven by the content of the storage circuits when the interconnect circuit is retrieving a stored set of configuration data from the plurality of storage circuits.
4. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the interconnect circuit comprises an unclocked storage element for storing the current state of the interconnect circuit.
5. The IC of claim 4 , wherein the unclocked storage element is a toggle latch.
6. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the interconnect circuit switches to a logic state that is opposite to the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at logic low.
7. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the interconnect circuit maintains the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at logic high.
8. A method comprising:
configuring a configurable circuit to perform an operation based on a current state of an unclocked state element, the unclocked state element having a connection to a set of storage circuits;
toggling the current state of the unclocked state element to switch to an alternate logic state that is opposite to the current state when the connection is driven to a first logic state; and
maintaining the current state of the unclocked state element when the connection is driven to a second logic state that is opposite of the first logic state.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first logic state is logic low and the second logic state is logic high.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising maintaining the current state of the unclocked state element when the connection is pre-charged to the second logic state.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising maintaining the current state of the unclocked state element when the connection is not driven by the content of the set of the storage circuits.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the unclocked state element is a toggle latch.
13. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
an unclocked state element for switchably receiving different configuration data sets, the unclocked state element having a current state, wherein each received configuration data set has a bit for toggling the current state of the unclocked state element, wherein the unclocked state element switches to a logic state that is opposite to the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at a first logic level, wherein the unclocked state element maintains the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at a second logic level that is opposite of the first logic level; and
a configurable circuit for configurably performing one of a plurality of operations based on the state of the unclocked state element.
14. The IC of claim 13 , wherein the unclocked state element changes the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at logic low.
15. The IC of claim 13 , wherein the unclocked state element maintains the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is at logic high.
16. The IC of claim 13 , wherein the unclocked state element maintains the current state when the bit for toggling the current state is pre-charged to logic high.
17. The IC of claim 13 , wherein the unclocked state element is a toggle latch.
18. The IC of claim 13 further comprising a set of storage circuits for storing the different configuration data sets.
19. The IC of claim 18 , wherein the unclocked state element maintains the current state when it is not receiving configuration data from the set of storage circuits.
20. The IC of claim 13 , wherein the unclocked state element is a part of an interconnect circuit for retrieving the different configuration data sets for configuring the configurable circuit.