Integrated circuit configuration

Abstract

An integrated circuit containing a plurality of data processing circuit elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 is provided with a configuration data memory 12 . Upon initialisation of the integrated circuit 2 , configuration data is read from the configuration data memory 12 and used to set up configuration program software 26 that controls the interaction between application program software 18, 20, 22 and the integrated circuit 2 . The configuration data is automatically formed from a human readable hierarchical description of the integrated circuit 2 in the form of an ASN.1 description.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An integrated circuit comprising: 
 (i) a plurality of data processing circuit elements;    (ii) a configuration memory storing configuration data describing said plurality of data processing elements; and    (iii) configuration logic operable upon initialisation of said apparatus to read said configuration data from said configuration memory and to determine therefrom configuration parameters of said integrated circuit for setting up configuration program software controlling interaction between application program software and said plurality of data processing circuit elements.    
     
     
         2 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said configuration program software is basic input output system software.  
     
     
         3 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of data processing circuit elements include a processor core responsive to program instructions to perform data processing operations.  
     
     
         4 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said configuration logic comprises said processor core operating under control of initialisation program instructions to read said configuration memory and to determine therefrom said configuration parameters.  
     
     
         5 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said configuration data includes data identifying said processor core.  
     
     
         6 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of data processing circuit elements include a data memory and said configuration data includes at least one of data identifying a type characteristic of said data memory, a capacity value of said data memory, a page size value of said data memory and data specifying access parameters for said data memory.  
     
     
         7 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of data processing circuit elements include a data processing peripheral circuit and said configuration data includes at least one of a memory address for said data processing peripheral and interrupt data specifying interrupts used by said peripheral.  
     
     
         8 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said configuration data includes data indicating whether a library of software subroutines is present and at least one of a data heap size and a data heap location.  
     
     
         9 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said configuration memory is a read only memory with said configuration data is fixed at manufacture of said integrated circuit.  
     
     
         10 . An integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said configuration data is encrypted.  
     
     
         11 . A method of configuring an integrated circuit having a plurality of data processing circuit elements and a configuration memory storing configuration data describing said plurality of data processing elements, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (i) upon initialisation of said apparatus, reading said configuration data from said configuration memory;    (ii) determining from said configuration data configuration parameters of said integrated circuit for setting up configuration program software controlling interaction between application program software and said plurality of data processing circuit elements.    
     
     
         12 . A computer program storage medium storing a computer program for controlling an integrated circuit to perform a method as claimed in  claim 11 .  
     
     
         13 . A method of describing an integrated circuit having a plurality of circuit elements and associated configuration parameters, said method comprising the step of: 
 (i) generating a description of said integrated circuit using a predetermined hierarchical syntax to form a human readable hierarchical description.    
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein an entry within said human readable hierarchical description can have one or more dependent entries stemming therefrom at a lower level within said human readable hierarchical description.  
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said hierarchical syntax allows different portions of said human readable hierarchical description to have different hierarchical depths.  
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each entry within said human readable hierarchical description has associated variables specifying order, type and value.  
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said human readable hierarchical description is an ASN.1.  
     
     
         18 . A method of forming configuration data for configuring an integrated circuit as claimed in  claim 11 , said method of forming configuration data comprising the steps of: 
 (i) generating a human readable hierarchical description in accordance with the method of any one of  claims 13  to  17 ; and    (ii) automatically mapping said human readable hierarchical description into said configuration data.    
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18 , further comprising the step of encrypting said configuration data prior to storing said configuration data in said configuration memory.  
     
     
         20 . A computer program storage medium storing a computer program for controlling an integrated circuit to perform a method as claimed in  claim 13 .  
     
     
         21 . A computer program storage medium storing a computer program for controlling an integrated circuit to perform a method as claimed in  claim 18.