IP Library Granted Patent US 12,341,511
Granted Patent B2
US 12,341,511 · App. 17/559,287 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Power management using voltage islands on programmable logic devices

Inventors: Mahesh K. Kumashikar (Bangalore, IN); Ankireddy Nalamalpu (Portland, OR); Md Altaf Hossain (Portland, OR); Dheeraj Subbareddy (Portland, OR); Atul Maheshwari (Portland, OR); Yuet Li (Fremont, CA); Mahesh A. Iyer (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: Altera Corporation
H03K19/177
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,341,511
App. No.
17/559,287
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems or methods of the present disclosure may provide efficient electric power consumption of programmable logic devices based on providing different voltage levels to different portions (e.g., voltage islands) of the programmable logic device. For example, the programmable logic device may include circuitry to provide different voltage levels to different voltage islands. The programmable logic device may implement and operate logic configurations with different operating parameters using different operating voltages for efficient electric power consumption.

Claims (34)

1. A programmable logic device, comprising:

a plurality of programmable logic sectors, wherein each programmable logic sector comprises at least one programmable logic element;

a redundancy logic circuit coupled to the programmable logic sectors for providing a first voltage to a first portion of the programmable logic sectors of the plurality of programmable logic sectors and a second voltage to a second portion of the programmable logic sectors of the plurality of programmable logic sectors, wherein the redundancy logic circuit comprises:

a first level shifter that receives a supply voltage and steps-down the supply voltage to the first voltage; and

multiplexer circuitry that comprises a first multiplexer that remaps logic of a first programmable logic element of the at least one programmable logic element associated with the first portion of the programmable logic sectors to utilize a redundant programmable logic element using the first voltage.

2. The programmable logic device of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexer circuitry comprises a second multiplexer that selects the supply voltage for providing the second voltage to the second portion of the programmable logic sectors.

3. The programmable logic device of claim 1 , wherein the first level shifter receive control bits and steps-down the supply voltage to the first voltage based on the control bits.

4. The programmable logic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the redundancy logic circuit comprises a second level shifter that receives the supply voltage and control bits;

steps-down the supply voltage to the second voltage based on the control bits; and

the multiplexer circuitry remaps logic of a second programmable logic element of the at least one programmable logic element associated with the second portion of the programmable logic sectors to utilize a redundant programmable logic element using the second voltage.

5. The programmable logic device of claim 1 , comprising a first voltage rail that provides the first voltage to the first portion of the programmable logic sectors and a second voltage rail that provides the second voltage to the second portion of the programmable logic sectors.

6. The programmable logic device of claim 1 , wherein the programmable logic elements of the first portion of the programmable logic sectors implement at least a first logic configuration, and the programmable logic elements of the second portion of the programmable logic sectors implement at least a second logic configuration.

7. The programmable logic device of claim 6 , wherein the first logic configuration performs functions using the first voltage, and the second logic configuration performs functions using the second voltage.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a redundancy logic circuit that performs repairs for a programmable logic device and from a power supply, a supply voltage;

providing, via the redundancy logic circuit, a first voltage to a first portion of programmable logic sectors of a plurality of programmable logic sectors of the programmable logic device based on receiving the supply voltage; and

providing, via the redundancy logic circuit, a second voltage to a second portion of programmable logic sectors of the plurality of programmable logic sectors based on receiving the supply voltage.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first voltage is a stepped-down voltage of the supply voltage.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising stepping-down the supply voltage, using a level shifter of the redundancy logic circuit, based on receiving the supply voltage to provide the first voltage.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising selecting the stepped-down voltage, using a multiplexer of the redundancy logic circuit, based on stepping-down the supply voltage to provide the first voltage.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are a stepped-down voltage of the supply voltage, and wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the redundancy logic circuit is disposed between the first portion of programmable logic sectors and the second portion of programmable logic sectors of the plurality of programmable logic sectors.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the redundancy logic circuit provides the first voltage to the first portion of programmable logic sectors via a first voltage rail and provides the second voltage to the second portion of programmable logic sectors via a second voltage rail.

15. An FPGA comprising:

a power supply;

a first plurality of programmable logic sectors that implement a first logic configuration using a first voltage level;

a second plurality of programmable logic sectors that implements a second logic configuration using a second voltage level; and

a redundancy logic circuit that repairs the first and second plurality of programmable logic sectors, provides the first voltage level, and provides the second voltage level based on receiving a supply voltage from the power supply, wherein the first and second voltage levels are different from each other.

16. The FPGA of claim 15 , wherein the redundancy logic circuit comprises: a first level shifter that receives the supply voltage and steps-down the supply voltage to the first voltage level.

17. The FPGA of claim 15 , wherein the redundancy logic circuit comprises: a second level shifter that receives the supply voltage and steps-down the supply voltage to the second voltage level.

18. The FPGA of claim 15 , comprising a first voltage rail that provides the first voltage level to the first plurality of programmable logic sectors and a second voltage rail that provides the second voltage level to the second plurality of programmable logic sectors.

19. The FPGA of claim 15 , wherein the first plurality of programmable logic sectors operates according to a first operating frequency that corresponds to the first voltage level, the second plurality of programmable logic sectors operates according to a second operating frequency that corresponds to the second voltage level, the second voltage level is lower than the second voltage level, and the second operating frequency is lower than the first operating frequency.

20. The FPGA of claim 15 , wherein the first logic configuration is configured to use the first voltage level, and the second logic configuration is configured to use the second voltage level.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2025
From: ALTERA CORPORATION
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073431/0309 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2025
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: ALTERA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 070159/0344 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2022
From: KUMASHIKAR, MAHESH K.; NALAMALPU, ANIKIREDDY; HOSSAIN, MD ALTAF; SUBBAREDDY, DHEERAJ; MAHESHWARI, ATUL; LI, YUET; IYER, MAHESH A.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058660/0097 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220116041A1 · Apr 14, 2022
References Cited (5)
US 6034536A · McClintock · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 10833679B2 · Clark et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20030072185A1 · Lane · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20160049941A1 · How · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20220116042A1 · Maheshwari · 2022 [cited by examiner]