"Totally reconfigurable analog circuit", concept and practical implementation

A new and easy to use high level analog design tool is described; it brings familiar digital methodologies to analog design, and then enables reconfigurable designs to be downloaded onto silicon in just seconds. Products can be rapidly moved from design to manufacturing. For higher volume projects the design can migrate to a fixed configuration analog ASIC. The heart of the concept is a unique and patented configurable analog cell, which may be programmed to one of the only 6 mathematical operands required to describe any algorithm needed for analog signal processing. A key feature of the technique is the ability to multiply signals easily and predictably by operating in logarithmic form. The current status and performance of silicon and software products is discussed and the future operating capabilities and performance envelope are considered