Reconfigurable circuit and decoder therefor
View Patent ↗A digital decoder, used in a reconfigurable circuit, for decoding digital pulses includes a phase indicator module having inputs coupled to a reference pulse input and a data pulse input. The phase indicator module has timing information outputs that provide logic values indicative of rising and falling edges of pulses occurring on the reference pulse input and the data pulse input. A phase decoder module has inputs coupled to the timing information outputs, and outputs decoded binary data values. In operation, the phase decoder module compares at least two of the logic values at the timing information outputs with a signal representative leading and trailing edges of a pulse applied to one of the phase inputs to determine a pulse arrival order sequence on the phase inputs and thereby provide the decoded binary data values.
1. A method of decoding digital pulses received at phase inputs of a decoder, digital pulses being a reference pulse and at least one data pulse, the method comprising:
detecting an occurrence of the reference pulse received at one of the inputs and the data pulse received at another of the inputs;
comparing arrival timing information of the reference pulse and arrival timing information of the data pulse to determine a pulse arrival order sequence; and
providing decoded binary data values at outputs of the decoder, the decoded binary data values being dependent on at least the pulse arrival order sequence.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing also compares termination timing information of the reference pulse and termination timing information of the data pulse in order to determine a pulse termination sequence.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing includes processing the pulse termination sequence and wherein the decoded binary data values are dependent on the pulse termination sequence.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising repeating the detecting, comparing and providing to create at least one sequence of the decoded binary data values.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
comparing at least one of the sequences of the decoded binary data values with a mask bit to provide a processing enabling signal; and
processing a further bit of at least one of the sequences to control a function of a digital circuit, wherein the processing is in response to the enabling signal.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the function is a test function for configuring a circuit to perform a test operation thereon.
7. A digital pulse decoder with at least two phase inputs in the form of a reference pulse input and a data pulse input, the decoder including:
a phase indicator module having inputs coupled to the reference pulse input and the data pulse input, wherein the phase indicator module has timing information outputs that provide logic values indicative of rising and falling edges of pulses occurring on the reference pulse input and the data pulse input; and
a phase decoder module having inputs coupled to the timing information outputs, and outputs that provide decoded binary data values, and wherein in operation the phase decoder module compares at least two of the logic values at the timing information outputs with a signal representative a leading and a trailing edge of a pulse applied to one of the phase inputs to determine a pulse arrival order sequence on the phase inputs and thereby provides the decoded binary data values.
8. The digital pulse decoder of claim 7 , wherein in operation the phase decoder module compares the logic values at the timing information outputs in response to the leading and a trailing edge being detected on a respective one of the phase inputs.
9. The digital pulse decoder of claim 8 , wherein the designated pulse edges include leading and trailing pulse edges of a reference pulse on the reference pulse input, and wherein the phase decoder module compares the logic values at the timing information outputs on both the leading and trailing pulse edges in order to provide the decoded binary data values.
10. The digital pulse decoder of claim 9 , wherein the phase indicator module includes pairs complementary latches each pair selectively coupled to one of the phase inputs.
11. The digital pulse decoder of claim 7 , wherein the phase decoder module includes a processor based architecture that processes the logic values at the timing information outputs in response to detection of the leading and trailing pulse edges.
12. The digital pulse decoder of claim 7 , wherein the phase decoder module includes a latch based architecture that processes the logic values at the timing information outputs in response to detection of the leading and trailing pulse edges on at least one of the phase inputs.
13. A reconfigurable circuit including a digital pulse decoder and at least one functional module providing at least some outputs of the circuit, the circuit having at least two phase inputs in the form of a reference pulse input and a data pulse input coupled to inputs of both the digital pulse decoder and at least one functional module, wherein the digital pulse decoder includes:
a phase indicator module having inputs coupled to the reference pulse input and the data pulse input, wherein the phase indicator module has timing information outputs that provide logic values indicative of rising and falling edges of pulses occurring on the reference pulse input and the data pulse input; and
a phase decoder module having inputs coupled to the timing information outputs, and outputs that provide decoded binary data values, and wherein in operation the phase decoder module compares at least two of the logic values at the timing information outputs with a signal representative a leading and a trailing edge of a pulse applied to one of the phase inputs to determine a pulse arrival order sequence on the phase inputs and thereby provide the decoded binary data values.
14. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 13 , wherein in operation the phase decoder module compares the logic values at the timing information outputs in response to the leading and a trailing edge being detected on a respective one of the phase inputs.
15. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 14 , wherein the designated pulse edges include leading and trailing pulse edges of a reference pulse on the reference pulse input, and wherein the phase decoder module compares the logic values at the timing information outputs on both the leading and trailing pulse edges in order to provide the decoded binary data values.
16. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 15 , further comprising a test mode selector with inputs coupled to the outputs of the phase decoder module, and wherein the outputs of the phase decoder module are coupled to inputs of a test mode selector and outputs of the test mode selector are coupled to the functional module.
17. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 16 , wherein in operation the test mode selector sends control commands to reconfigure the functional module into a test mode.
18. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 17 , wherein in operation the test mode selector compares the decoded binary data values with a mask to determine a mask match, and if there is a mask match the test mode selector processes a further one of decoded binary data values to determine and send a control command to the functional module.
19. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 18 , wherein the test mode selector includes a plurality of shift registers each associated with a mask register that stores a unique digital mask code.
20. The reconfigurable circuit of claim 18 , wherein the functional module operates in a non-test mode thereby processing digital data received at the phase inputs until the control command is sent to the functional module.