A method and apparatus that uses device defects as an identifier. Data is written to memory of an integrated circuit. Defects are identified based upon the writing of the data. An identifier for the IC is then derived using the identification of the defects.
Reconfigurable circuits and systems having a recovery module coupled to the reconfigurable circuit and configured to access the configuration memory to retrieve configuration data stored in the configuration memory. The recovery module analyzes the retrieved configuration data to determine whether the configuration data has been corrupted and, if so, restores the configuration data to their uncorrupted state. Methods of operating such reconfigurable circuits and systems are also described.
Some embodiments provide a reconfigurable IC that includes at least two sections, each with several configurable circuits. Each configurable circuit configurably performs a set of operations. Each section stores multiple configuration data sets for each configurable circuit. Each configuration data set for a particular configurable circuit specifies the operation that the particular configurable circuit has to perform from the circuit's set of operations, where the configurable circuits of different sections iterate through different numbers of configuration data sets.
An integrated circuit (IC) performs error detection and correction on configuration data. The IC includes a configuration memory for storing configuration data and error correction data, and error correction circuitry for receiving the configuration data, correcting a particular error in the received configuration data when the particular error exists in the configuration data, and outputting the configuration data without the particular error. The IC further includes a configurable circuit (e.g., a configurable logic circuit or a configurable interconnect circuit) that receives the error-corrected configuration data from the error correction circuitry, and circuitry to write the corrected configuration data and error data back into the configuration memory.
Some embodiments provide a first interconnect circuit for accessing stored data in a reconfigurable IC. The reconfigurable IC has at least one reconfigurable circuit and a set of storage elements for storing several data sets for the particular reconfigurable circuit. The first interconnect circuit includes second, third, and fourth interconnect circuits, where the fourth interconnect circuit connects to outputs of the second and third interconnect circuits. The second and third interconnect circuits connect to the storage element sets to provide data sets to the fourth interconnect circuit, which, in turn, provides the received data to the particular reconfigurable circuit. The fourth interconnect circuit operates at a different rate than the second and third interconnect circuits. In some embodiments, the stored data sets are configuration data sets for configuring the particular reconfigurable circuit.
Some embodiments provide a circuit for accessing stored data in a configurable IC that includes several configurable circuits. The IC also includes several storage circuits. Each storage circuit has (1) several storage elements for storing data for the configurable circuits, and (2) output circuitry for outputting data stored in the storage elements. The output circuitry includes a first set of interconnects for receiving at least a first repeating periodic signal and for periodically outputting data from at least two storage elements to the configurable circuits.