Method and apparatus for configurable systems
The invention relates to methods and devices to define and control the design of a configurable chip module, instrument or systems, for example, for measurement, control and communication systems or any portion thereof. The module may include one or more chip elements. This can be achieved using, for example, a Graphical User interface (GUI), that transforms selections made by the user to a hardware and/or software configuration for the system in a process transparent to the user. This enables implementation of a plurality of devices and larger subsystems on a chip or chip module without specific semiconductor design knowledge from the user. This transformation process is thus accomplished transparently to the user, who operates the GUI to define the measurement or action which needs to be performed thereby resulting in an automatic combination of hardware and/or software elements available to create a specific configuration.
1. A user configurable instrument comprising:
a plurality of analog elements;
a plurality of digital elements;
a plurality of connection elements connecting the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements; and
a configurable user interface system, using at least one of a processor and a programmable logic device, that:
provides a user interface that allows a user to enter a plurality of design inputs such that the user configurable instrument performs a particular action;
receives, via the user interface, the plurality of design inputs to generate the user configurable instrument that performs the particular action;
determines, based on the plurality of design inputs, which of the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements to connect using at least one of the plurality of connection elements such that the user configurable instrument is configured to perform the particular action; and
automatically causes, based on the determination, at least one of the plurality of connection elements to connect at least a first element selected from the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements to at least a second element selected from the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements.
2. A configurable chip module system comprising:
a plurality of analog elements;
a plurality of digital elements;
a plurality of connection elements connecting the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements; and
a configuration mechanism, using at least one of a processor and a programmable logic device, that automatically configures at least one of the plurality of connection elements in response to receiving selections entered on a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to execute on the configurable chip module system and wherein the user interface allows a user to input commands to modify a design of the configurable chip module system.
3. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein modifying the design of the configurable chip module system comprises modifying a function of the configurable chip module system.
4. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein modifying the design of the configurable chip module system comprises modifying a structure of the configurable chip module system.
5. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein the configurable chip module system comprises a plurality of layers that are organized by functionality and wherein the user, prior to manufacture, selects one or more of the plurality of layers for including in the configurable chip module system.
6. The configurable chip module system of claim 5 , wherein the configuration mechanism allows the user to select the one or more of the plurality of layers by selecting desired chip functions of the chip module system.
7. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein the configurable chip module system comprises a single chip.
8. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein the configurable chip module system comprises a plurality of predetermined mask layers and a plurality of custom configurable mask layers, wherein the user configures desirable functions in the plurality of custom configurable mask layers.
9. The configurable chip module system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of custom configurable mask layers are laid adjacent to a flexible, predefined, functional structure.
10. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one of: a sensor interface module; a signal generator module; a processor; a memory module; and a control module.
11. The configurable chip module system of claim 10 , wherein the signal generator module comprises an electrical stimulator module.
12. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , further comprising a communications interface module for receiving and sending wireless communications.
13. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of analog elements or at least one of the plurality of digital elements generates control signals having selectable electrical and time spatial properties.
14. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein the configurable chip module system is configured to measure a plurality of parameters using one or more of the plurality of analog elements or the plurality of digital elements.
15. The configurable chip module system of claim 2 , wherein the configuration mechanism includes an embedded web server.
16. A method for manufacturing a configurable chip module system, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of analog elements that are available to be used on the configurable chip module system;
receiving a plurality of digital elements that are available to be used on the configurable chip module system;
receiving a plurality of connection elements to be used on configurable chip module system, wherein each of the plurality of connection elements is connecting at least one first element selected from the plurality of analog elements or the plurality of digital elements to at least one second element selected from the plurality of analog elements or the plurality of digital elements;
providing, using a processor, a user interface that allows a user to enter a plurality of design inputs such that the configurable chip module system performs a particular action;
receiving, via the user interface, the plurality of design inputs to generate the configurable chip module system that performs the particular action;
determining, based on the plurality of design inputs using the processor, which of the plurality of analog elements and the plurality of digital elements to connect using at least one of the plurality of connection elements such that the configurable chip module system is configured to perform the particular action; and
automatically causing, based on the determination using the processor, at least one of the plurality of connection elements to connect the at least one first element to the at least one second element.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of design inputs comprises a user-inputted function of the configurable chip module system.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of design inputs comprises a user-inputted structure of the configurable chip module system.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
laying a plurality of predetermined layers and a plurality of custom configurable layers on a substrate; and
allowing the user to configure desirable function in the plurality of custom configurable layers.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
laying the plurality of custom configurable layers adjacent to a flexible and predefined multi-layer structure.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of predetermined layers and the plurality of custom configurable layers are organized by functionality.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising allowing the user to select one or more of the plurality of predetermined layers and the plurality of custom configurable layers by selecting desired chip functions of the configurable chip module system.