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Next: Architecture Evaluation Method Up: Memory/Logic Interconnect Flexibility in Previous: Introduction

Architectural Framework

We assume that an FPGA with embedded memory consists of distinct logic and memory resources, as illustrated in Figure 1. The memory resources consist of a set of identical arrays that can be combined to implement the required user memory configuration, similar to [6]. The number of bits in each array is fixed, but the aspect ratio can be configured by the user. In the results presented in Section 4, we have assumed that each array has two kilobits, and has a configurable data width of 1, 2, 4, or 8 (similar to [2] and [7]). Unlike [6], here we assume that each memory array has separate input and output data ports (as well as an address port).

   figure51
Figure 1: FPGA with Embedded Memory

The logic resources of the FPGA are assumed to consist of five-input lookup tables, interconnected using symmetric horizontal and vertical channels like those of [1] and [4]. At the intersection of each horizontal and vertical channel is a switch block. The flexibility of each switch block, tex2html_wrap_inline371 , is defined as the total number of possible connections offered to each incoming wire [1]. In this paper, we assume tex2html_wrap_inline373 , which is consistent with previous work. All segments are of length 1; that is, segments only connect neighbouring switch blocks. Each pin of each lookup table can be connected to two channels; within each channel, each pin can be connected to tex2html_wrap_inline367 tracks. In Section 4, we vary tex2html_wrap_inline367 between W and tex2html_wrap_inline381 , where W is the number of routing tracks per channel.

The memory arrays are assumed to be positioned in a single row in the middle of the chip, as shown in Figure 1, with logic blocks above and below the memory arrays. This is similar to the Altera FLEX10K architecture [2] and the Actel 3200DX architecture [3].

Figure 2 shows the assumed interconnect structure between the logic and memory portions of the FPGA. In the figure, each solid line is a channel of W parallel routing tracks. The vertical tracks in the top half of the logic are connected to those in the bottom half, and the pins on each memory array are connected to one or more of these vertical tracks. Note that in Figure 2, the vertical tracks are shown to ``bend'' around the memory blocks; in multi-metal layer implementations, the vertical tracks might simply cross on top of the arrays.

   figure68
Figure 2: Memory/Logic Routing Structures

We define the flexibility of the memory/logic interconnect, tex2html_wrap_inline363 , as the number of vertical tracks to which each memory pin can connect. If there are r logic blocks per memory block in the horizontal dimension, the maximum possible tex2html_wrap_inline363 is rW (in Figure 2, r=4). In Section 4, we will vary tex2html_wrap_inline363 from 1 to its maximum value and examine the effects on routability and delay.


next up previous
Next: Architecture Evaluation Method Up: Memory/Logic Interconnect Flexibility in Previous: Introduction

Steve Wilton
Thu Aug 1 15:28:50 EDT 1996