Programming Apparatus With FPGA Buffer For High-Speed ISP
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing programming apparatuses for electronic devices face challenges in achieving high programming speed and efficient data transmission, requiring short communication lines with specific electrical features, leading to increased costs and integration times, and lack sufficient non-volatile storage for large data downloads, resulting in prolonged programming times.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a programmable FPGA unit with dynamically configurable logical ports and non-volatile storage, allowing for flexible communication protocols and high-speed data transfer, along with an auxiliary processing unit for loading configuration data, enabling efficient data management and storage within the programming system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a high programming speed is required, then communication line length must be limited and electrical features must be well-sized, but this leads to high costs and long integration times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary buffer device between the host computer and the programming port. This buffer acts as a mediator that handles data temporary storage and transmission management, allowing the use of longer communication lines without compromising programming speed. The buffer absorbs timing variations and electrical signal variations, eliminating the need for precisely controlled short communication lines while maintaining high programming speeds.
2Quantity of substance
If a large quantity of configuration data must be downloaded, then non-volatile storage capacity must be increased, but this causes increased programming times due to data exchange requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-loading configuration data into the buffer device's non-volatile storage before the actual programming operation begins. The buffer is pre-configured with the required data, so during programming, data can be transferred directly from the buffer to the target device without repeated exchanges with the host computer. This eliminates iterative data exchange cycles and significantly reduces programming time while supporting large configuration data quantities.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer device serves as an intermediary storage system between the host computer and the target device. It temporarily holds large quantities of configuration data in its non-volatile storage, enabling efficient batch transfers to multiple target devices or to a single device in large chunks, thereby reducing the total time required for data exchange compared to direct host-to-device communication.
3Ease of manufacture
If communication line length is extended for better integration, then programming speed decreases due to signal degradation and timing issues
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer device acts as an intermediary that decouples the communication line length from programming speed requirements. By placing intelligent buffering and timing management functionality in the buffer, the system can use longer communication lines for easier integration without suffering from signal degradation effects. The buffer compensates for timing variations introduced by longer lines, maintaining high programming speeds despite extended communication distances.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10; 14; 16; 18) for programming an electronic device (12), in particular for ISP, ICP or PP programming, comprises electronic processing means (20; 45) suitable for processing and managing at least a programming algorithm of said electronic device (12); programming means (11) connected to said processing means (20; 45) and to said electronic device (12) for receiving from said processing means (20; 45) the programming data and for sending them to said electronic device (12) through a predetermined communication protocol; interface means (25) associated with said processing means (20; 45) and with said electronic device (12); and non-volatile electronic storage means (23; 22) adapted to exchange data with said electronic processing means (20; 45) by means of at least one bidirectional data communication line (32, 31).