Comparators in IC with programmably controlled positive / negative hysteresis level and open-drain / push-pull output coupled to crossbar switch or rising / falling edge interrupt generation

1. An integrated circuit package on a single chip, comprising:

a processing core for operating on a set of instructions to carry out predefined processes;

a plurality of comparators for performing compare operations within the integrated circuit package;

at least one control register associated with each of the plurality of comparators for storing a first group of control bits controlling an amount of positive hysteresis of each of the plurality of comparators and a second group of control bits controlling an amount of negative hysteresis of each of the plurality of comparators;

wherein each of the plurality of comparators are software programmable to control a hysteresis of the plurality of comparators responsive to control bits established in the at least one control register by the processing core, the amount of positive hysteresis programmed via the first group of the control bits in the at least one control register and the amount of negative hysteresis programmed via the second group of the control bits in the at least one control register;

a crossbar switch for assigning an output of the plurality of comparators to package pins; and

wherein when a comparator output is assigned to the package pins, the comparator output can be programmed by the processing core to operate in either an open drain mode or a push-pull mode.

2. The integrated circuit package of claim 1 , wherein positive and negative going symmetry of hysteresis around a threshold voltage may be software programmed responsive to hysteresis symmetry control bits within the at least one control register set by the processing core.

3. The integrated circuit package of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of comparators can be enabled or disabled by the processing core responsive to a software programmed bit in the control register.

4. The integrated circuit package of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of comparators may be placed in a low power shut down mode by the processing core.

5. The integrated circuit package of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of comparators may be software programmed to generate an interrupt on a rising clock edge responsive to a first control bit, a falling clock responsive to a second control bit, and both a rising and falling clock edge responsive to the first and the second control bits.

6. The integrated circuit package of claim 1 , wherein the at least one control register programs each of the plurality of comparators to operate in either an open drain mode or a push-pull mode.

7. An integrated circuit package, comprising:

a processing core for operating on a set of instructions to carry out predefined processes;

a plurality of comparators for performing compare operations within the integrated circuit package;

at least one control register associated with each of the plurality of comparators for storing a first group of control bits controlling an amount of positive hysteresis of each of the plurality of comparators and a second group of control bits controlling an amount of negative hysteresis of each of the plurality of comparators; and

wherein each of the plurality of comparators are software programmable to control a hysteresis of the plurality of comparators responsive to control bits established in the at least one control register of the comparator by the processing core, the amount of positive hysteresis programmed via the first group of the control bits in the at least one control register and the amount of negative hysteresis programmed via the second group of the control bits in the at least one control register;

wherein each of the plurality of comparators may be software programmed to generate an interrupt on a rising clock edge responsive to a first control bit, a falling clock responsive to a second control bit, and both a rising and falling clock edge responsive to the first and the second control bits; and

wherein each of the plurality of comparators can be enabled or disabled by the processing core responsive to a software programmed bit in the control register.

8. The integrated circuit package of claim 7 , further including:

a crossbar switch for assigning an output of the plurality of comparators to package pins; and

wherein when a comparator output is assigned to the package pins, the comparator output can be programmed by the processing core to operate in either an open drain mode or a push-pull mode.

9. The integrated circuit package of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of comparators may be placed in a low power shut down mode by the processing core.

10. The integrated circuit package of claim 7 , wherein the at least one control register programs each of the plurality of comparators to operate in either an open drain mode or a push-pull mode.

11. An integrated circuit package on a single chip, comprising:

a processing core for operating on a set of instructions to carry out predefined processes;

a plurality of comparators for performing compare operations within the integrated circuit package;

at least one control register associated with each of the plurality of comparators for storing a first group of control bits controlling an amount of positive hysteresis of each of the plurality of comparators and a second group of control bits controlling an amount of negative hysteresis of comparators;

wherein each of the plurality of comparators are software programmable to control an amount of hysteresis voltage of each of the plurality of comparators and to control a positive going and negative going symmetry of hysteresis around the amount of hysteresis voltage;

a crossbar switch for assigning an output of the plurality of comparators to package pins; and

wherein when a comparator output is assigned to the package pins, the comparator output can be programmed by the processing core to operate in either an open drain mode or a push-pull mode.