CPLD (Complex programmable logic devices)

Commercially Available CPLDs

Altera CPLDs Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CPLDs Lattice CPLDs Cypress CPLDs Xilinx CPLDs Altera FLASHlogic CPLDs

Altera CPLD
Altera has developed three families of chips that fit within the CPLD category:
MAX 5000 MAX 7000, and MAX 9000

MAX 5000 represents an older technology that offers a cost effective solution, MAX 7000 series is widely used and offers stateof-the-art logic capacity and speed-performance. MAX 9000 is similar to MAX 7000, except that MAX 9000 offers higher logic capacity

General architecture of the Altera MAX 7000 series

Fig: Altera MAX 7000 Series.

 It comprises
An array of blocks called Logic Array Blocks (LABs) Interconnect wires called a Programmable Interconnect Array (PIA) I/O Block

The PIA is capable of connecting any LAB input or output to any other LAB. A LAB can be thought of as a complex SPLD-like structure, and so the entire chip can be considered to be an array of SPLDs. MAX 7000 devices are available both based in EPROM and EEPROM technology Even with EEPROM, MAX 7000 chips could be programmable only out-of-circuit in a special-purpose programming unit; In 1996 Altera released the 7000S series, which is reprogrammable in-circuit.

The structure of a Logic Array Block

Fig: Altera MAX 7000 Logic Array Block (LAB).

 Each LAB consists of two sets of eight macrocells as shown below

 A macrocell comprises a set of programmable product terms (part of an AND-plane) that feeds an OR-gate and a flip-flop. The flip-flops can be configured as D type, JK, T, SR, or can be transparent. The number of inputs to the OR-gate in a macrocell is variable. The OR-gate can be fed from any or all of the five product terms within the macrocell, and in addition can have up to 15 extra product terms from macrocells in the same LAB. This product term flexibility makes the MAX 7000 series LAB more efficient in terms of chip area because typical logic functions do not need more than five product terms, and the architecture supports wider functions when they are needed.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CPLD

AMD offers a CPLD family with five sub-families called Mach 1 to Mach 5. Each Mach device comprises multiple PAL-like blocks: Mach 1 and 2 consist of optimized 22V16 PALs, Mach 3 and 4 comprise several optimized 34V16 PALs, Mach 5 is similar but offers enhanced speed performance. All Mach chips are based on EEPROM technology Mach 4 represents the most advanced currently available parts in the Mach family.

Below figure shows a Mach 4 chip

 It consist of
Multiple 34V16 PAL-like blocks The interconnect called Central Switch Matrix

Chips range in size from 6 to 16 PAL blocks, which corresponds roughly to 2000 to 5000 equivalent gates and are in-circuit programmable. All connections in Mach 4 between one PAL block and another (even from a PAL block to itself) are routed through the Central Switch Matrix. Since all connections travel through the same path, timing delays of circuits implemented in Mach 4 are predictable.

 A Mach 4 PAL-like block is depicted in Figure below

Fig: AMD Mach 4 PAL-like (34V16) Block.

 It has 16 outputs and a total of 34 inputs (16 of which are the outputs fed-back), so it corresponds to a 34V16 PAL. there are two key differences between this block and a normal PAL:
There is a product term allocator between the AND-plane and the macrocells (the macrocells comprise an OR-gate, an EX-OR gate and a flip-flop) There is an output switch matrix between the OR-gates and the I/O pins.

These two features make a Mach 4 chip easier to use.

The product term allocator distributes and shares product terms from the AND-plane to whichever OR-gates require them. The output switch matrix makes it possible for any macrocell output (OR-gate or flip-flop) to drive any of the I/O pins connected to the PAL block.

Mach 4s combination of in-system programmability and high flexibility promote easy hardware design changes.

Lattice CPLD
Lattice offers a complete range of CPLDs, with two main product lines:
The Lattice pLSI The ispLSI

The ispLSI is in-system programmable. For both the pLSI and ispLSI products, Lattice offers three families that have different logic capacities and speed-performance.
1000 series 2000 series 3000 series.

pLSI and ispLSI 1000 series

Each chip consists of a collection of SPLD-like blocks A global routing pool to connect blocks together. Logic capacity ranges from about 1200 to 4000 gates. Pin-to-pin delays are 10 nsec.

pLSI and ispLSI 2000 series

are relatively small CPLDs, with between 600 and 2000 gates Offer a higher ratio of macrocells to I/O pins and higher speedperformance than the 1000 series Pin-to-pin delays are 5.5 nsec.

pLSI and ispLSI 2000 series

largest CPLDs, with up to 5000 gates. Pin-to-pin delays are about 10-15 nsec. Its functionality is most similar to AMDs Mach 4

The general structure of a Lattice pLSI or ispLSI device is indicated in Figure below

 It consist of
GenericLogic Blocks (GLBs) Global Routing Pool (GRP). Output Routing Pool

the GLBs are small PAL-like blocks that consist of

An AND-plane, Product term allocator, and Macrocells

The GRP is a set of wires that span the entire chip and are available to connect the GLB inputs and outputs together. All interconnections pass through the GRP, so timing between levels of logic in the Lattice chips is fully predictable, much as it is for the AMD Mach devices.

Cypress FLASH370 CPLDs

Cypress CPLD products are similar to both the AMD and Lattice devices in several ways. The Cypress CPLDs, called FLASH370 are based on FLASH EEPROM technology, and offer speedperformance of 8.5 to 15 nsec pin-to-pin delays. The FLASH370 parts are not in-system programmable FLASH370 provides more I/Os than other products The smallest parts have 32 macrocells and 32 I/Os and the largest 256 macrocells and 256 I/Os.

Below figure shows the architecture of cypress FLASH370 CPLD

 It consist of
multiple PAL-like blocks and A programmable interconnect matrix (PIM)

Within each PAL-like block, there is an AND-plane that feeds a product term allocator that directs from 0 to 16 product terms to each of 32 OR-gates In the feed-back path from the macrocell outputs to the PIM, there are 32 wires, this means that a macrocell can be buried (not drive an I/O pin) and yet the I/O pin that could be driven by the macrocell can still be used as an input.

Altera FLASHlogic CPLDs

Alteras FLASHlogic was previously known as Intels FLEXlogic It is in-system programmable and provides onchip SRAM blocks, a unique feature among CPLD products In terms of basic structure, FLASHlogic is similar to other products

Below figure shows the architecture of FLASHlogic device

It consist a collection of
PALlike blocks, called Configurable Function Blocks (CFBs), that each represents an optimized 24V10 PAL. Global Interconnect Matrix and I/O Blocks

 One unique feature of this CPLD is that each PAL-like block, instead of being used for AND-OR logic, can be configured as a block of 10 nsec Static RAM.

CFB being used as a PAL and another configured as an SRAM In the SRAM configuration, the PAL block becomes a 128 word by 10 bit read/write memory. Inputs that would normally feed the AND plane in the PAL in this case become address lines, data in, and control signals for the memory. Flip-flops and tri-state buffers are still available when the PAL block is configured as memory.

 In the FLASHlogic device, the AND-OR logic planes configuration bits are SRAM cells that are shadowed by EPROM or EEPROM cells. The SRAM cells are loaded with a copy of the nonvolatile EPROM or EEPROM memory when power is applied The SRAM cells control the configuration of the chip. It is possible to re-configure the chips in-system by downloading new information into the SRAM cells. The SRAM cells contents can be written back to the EEPROM, so that non-volatile re-programming (incircuit) is available.

Applications of CPLDs
implementing random glue logic to prototyping small gate arrays graphics controller LAN controllers UARTs Cache control

User-Programmable Switch Technologies

The first type of user-programmable switch developed was the fuse used in PLAs. EPROM and EEPROM for CPLDs, SRAM and Antifuse for FPGAs

EEPROM or EPROM
Transistor is used as a programmable switch for CPLDs by placing the transistor between two wires in a way that facilitates implementation of wired-AND functions Transistors might be connected in an AND-plane of a CPLD An input to the AND-plane can drive a product wire to logic level 0 through an EPROM or EEPROM transistor, if that input is part of the corresponding product term For inputs that are not involved for a product term, the appropriate EPROM transistors are programmed to be permanently turned off.

Fig: EPROM Programmable Switches

SRAM-controlled switches
Fig shows two applications of SRAM cells:
For controlling the gate nodes of pass-transistor switches and To control the select lines of multiplexers that drive logic block inputs

Fig: SRAM-controlled Programmable Switches

The connection of one logic block to another through two pass-transistor switches, and then a multiplexer, all controlled by SRAM cells Whether an FPGA uses passtransistors or multiplexers or both depends on the particular product.

Antifuse as a Switch
Antifuses are originally opencircuits and take on low resistance only when programmed. Antifuses are suitable for FPGAs because they can be built using modified CMOS technology. The figure shows that an antifuse is positioned between two interconnect wires and physically consists of three sandwiched layers:
The top and bottom layers are conductors, and The middle layer is an insulator

When un programmed, the insulator isolates the top and bottom layers When programmed the insulator changes to become a low-resistance link PLICE uses Poly-Si and n+ diffusion as conductors and oxide as an insulator Other antifuses rely on metal for conductors, with amorphous silicon as the middle layer

Characteristics of the programming technologies

Name Fuse EPROM

Re-programmable No Yes, out of circuit

Volatile No No

Technology Bipolar UVCMOS

EEPROM
SRAM Antifuse

Yes, in circuit
Yes, in circuit No

No
Yes No

EECMOS
CMOS CMOS

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Flow for FPDs

Fig: CAD Design Flow for SPLDs/CPLDs