Abstract: A method and memory circuit comprising a plurality of cells accessible by word lines and bit lines is described, wherein each cell includes a group of six transistors adapted to both store a bit inserted into the cell during a write operation and affect a signal asserted during a read operation on a bit line coupled to the cell such that the affected signal matches a value of the bit stored in the cell, wherein the word lines and bit lines of the memory are divided into sections assigned to groups of equal numbers of cells, wherein said sections are individually accessible for read or write operations such that one cell of a group can be read simultaneously while writing another cell of the group.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wordline booster circuit, especially an SRAM-wordline booster circuit, comprising a driving element (20) for shifting a voltage level of a charge storage element (50) for storing a charge necessary to generate a boosted voltage (Vb), a feedback element (30) for controlling the switching state of a charging element (40), wherein the charging element (40) is actively switchable between a turned-off state during a first time interval and a turned-on state during a second time interval, and an output port (14) for supplying the boost voltage to at least one wordline-driver circuit (100) of a memory device (200). The invention relates also to an operation method for such a wordline booster circuit as well as a memory array implementation on an integrated circuit, especially an SRAM memory array, with a wordline booster circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wordline booster circuit, especially an SRAM-wordline booster circuit, comprising a driving element (20) for shifting a voltage level of a charge storage element (50) for storing a charge necessary to generate a boosted voltage (Vb), a feedback element (30) for controlling the switching state of a charging element (40), wherein the charging element (40) is actively switchable between a turned-off state during a first time interval and a turned-on state during a second time interval, and an output port (14) for supplying the boost voltage to at least one wordline-driver circuit (100) of a memory device (200). The invention relates also to an operation method for such a wordline booster circuit as well as a memory array implementation on an integrated circuit, especially an SRAM memory array, with a wordline booster circuit.

Abstract: A signal distribution tree structure for distributing signals within a plurality of signal tree branches to a plurality of signal sinks, wherein the signal in subsequent sub trees (11) is driven by a preceding amplifier (2), which is characterized in that the amplifiers are logic gates (3), which combines the signals of a preferred input (31) connected to a preceding logic gate in the signal path with a signal of a secondary input (32) connected to an adjacent tree (12) path of a neighboring and/or preceding sub tree.

Abstract: A method and system of accessing memory cells within a dynamic hardware memory block operated with a bitline precharge circuit, in which differential read/write access operations are performed by activating complementary bitlines. A reduction in power dissipation is realized by determining whether a next access operation following a current access operation is a read or write access, and performing a precharge of the bitlines of the array only when a read operation follows the current access operation. A conventional precharge control signal is combined with an external control signal indicating if the next cycle is a read cycle. The combination of the two signals can be used, for example, as input to a simple AND gate to generate an effective precharge signal. The effective precharge signal permits precharging of bitlines only when those bitlines are used for read access in a respective next cycle.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method is provided for accessing memory. The first method includes the steps of (1) storing a bit in a cell included in a memory having a plurality of cells arranged into rows and columns, wherein each cell includes a group of transistors adapted to both store the bit and affect a signal asserted during a read operation on a bit line coupled to the cell such that the affected signal matches a value of the bit stored in the cell; and (2) preventing the value of the bit stored in the cell from changing state while the group of transistors affects the signal asserted during the read operation on the bit line coupled to the cell. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: An improved hardware circuit simulation method in particular for history-dependent and cyclic operation-sensitive hardware circuits, like SOI-type hardware, checks for correct cyclic boundary conditions by performing a first run of a DC simulation with input voltage conditions belonging to CYCLE START, and by carrying out a second DC simulation with input voltage conditions belonging to CYCLE STOP. After comparing the results, e.g., comparing the node voltages, any mismatches can be determined which serve as a hint to non-compatibility with cyclic operation. Thus, the design is able to be re-designed before being simulated in vain with a great amount of work and computing time. A transient simulation can be appended for automated correction of dynamic errors.

Abstract: The invention proposes a Random Access Memory (1) with a plurality of symmetrical memory cells (2) which are connected in groups to complementary bit lines (blc, blt), and the complementary bit lines (blc, blt) are coupled through a cross coupled device (31, 32), and the groups of memory cells are connected to complementary global data lines (data_c, data_t) used to provide data to a selected cell of the group of memory cells. The Random Access Memory is characterized in that switches (33, 34) are provided that deactivate the cross coupled device, wherein the switches (33, 34) are driven by the complementary global data lines (data_c, data_t). The invention relates further on to a computer comprising such a Random Access Memory.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method is provided for accessing memory. The first method includes the steps of (1) storing a bit in a cell included in a memory having a plurality of cells arranged into rows and columns, wherein each cell includes a group of transistors adapted to both store the bit and affect a signal asserted during a read operation on a bit line coupled to the cell such that the affected signal matches a value of the bit stored in the cell; and (2) preventing the value of the bit stored in the cell from changing state while the group of transistors affects the signal asserted during the read operation on the bit line coupled to the cell. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A multiport array comprises a read section which is separated from an array of memory cells and which forms a plurality of data-out ports each consisting of a predetermined number of output lines. The read section comprises a multiplex network containing a plurality of multiplex arrays each associated with one of the data-out ports (0,1, . . . ,15). The multiplex arrays are connected to the data read lines of the memory cells and are selected by read addresses. The multiplex arrays comprise transmission elements which connect selected ones of the data read lines to the associated data-out port.

Abstract: A signal distribution tree structure for distributing signals within a plurality of signal tree branches to a plurality of signal sinks, wherein the signal in subsequent sub trees (11) is driven by a preceding amplifier (2), which is characterized in that the amplifiers are logic gates (3), which combines the signals of a preferred input (31) connected to a preceding logic gate in the signal path with a signal of a secondary input (32) connected to an adjacent tree (12) path of a neighboring and/or preceding sub tree.

Abstract: An integrated chip die comprises a data source connected to a data sink by way of a signal path wherein one or more pipeline latches are automatically inserted into the signal path at predetermined intervals when the length of the signal path is greater than a predetermined maximum signal propagation length.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for designing a hierarchical, multi-layer integrated circuit (IC) chip design in which a first stage design at a lower level of the hierarchical design provides details of circuit features that occupy areas of the design, and in a higher level stage of the design process corresponding to a higher level of the hierarchy, those details are used to determine free areas in the lower level design that are not yet occupied by circuit features, and allowing further processing of those free areas during the higher level design stage. For example, this may include identifying free tracks within a basic power grid layer and implementing additional power wiring within that power grid layer without having to redo the lower level design.

Abstract: A method and a device for decoding an address word into word-line signals. A plurality of address lines feed the address word into a plurality of decoding blocks each associated to a particular address in the address space formed by the address word for generating a respective word-line signals, whereby each of the decoding blocks is connected to the plurality of address lines. At least one decoding block associated to a predetermined address in the address space formed by the address word is omitted, so that none of the generated word lines is switched to the active state, whenever the predetermined address word is inputted over the plurality of address lines.

Abstract: A multiport array comprises a read section which is separated from an array of memory cells and which forms a plurality of data-out ports each consisting of a predetermined number of output lines. The read section comprises a multiplex network containing a plurality of multiplex arrays each associated with one of the data-out ports (0,1, . . . ,15). The multiplex arrays are connected to the data read lines of the memory cells and are selected by read addresses. The multiplex arrays comprise transmission elements which connect selected ones of the data read lines to the associated data-out port.

Abstract: A method and a device for decoding an address word into word-line signals. A plurality of address lines feed the address word into a plurality of decoding blocks each associated to a particular address in the address space formed by the address word for generating a respective word-line signals, whereby each of the decoding blocks is connected to the plurality of address lines. At least one decoding block associated to a predetermined address in the address space formed by the address word is omitted, so that none of the generated word lines is switched to the active state, whenever the predetermined address word is inputted over the plurality of address lines.

Abstract: According to the present invention an automated method is provided for routing and designing an LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit). First, at least one generic of an instance of a book to be connected is located on the chip, wherein a generic of an instance is an area defined according to the measurements of said instance. Then, an initial route to said instance is generated by optimizing the route to the corresponding generic according to given design rules. Thereby, an optimized pin location is determined for said instance. Then, on the basis of said optimized pin location a layout for said instance is generated in place of the corresponding generic. Finally, the actually generated pin is connected with the corresponding end of the initial route.

Abstract: The present invention relates to computer hardware and in particular to power management of high frequency storage designs, which are able to implement differential write or read access in a dynamic hardware arrangement of storage cells having some inner segmentation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and respective system of accessing memory cells within a dynamic hardware memory block operated with a bitline precharge circuit, in which differential read/write access operations are performed by activating complementary bitlines. A reduction in power dissipation is realized by determining whether an access operation following a current access operation is a read or write access, and performing a precharge of the bitlines of the array only when a read operation follows the current access operation. A conventional precharge control signal (20) is combined with an external control signal (22) indicating if the next cycle is a read cycle.

Abstract: A method and a device for decoding an address word into word-line signals. A plurality of address lines feed the address word into a plurality of decoding blocks each associated to a particular address in the address space formed by the address word for generating a respective word-line signals, whereby each of the decoding blocks is connected to the plurality of address lines. At least one decoding block associated to a predetermined address in the address space formed by the address word is omitted, so that none of the generated word lines is switched to the active state, whenever the predetermined address word is inputted over the plurality of address lines.

Abstract: A receiving latch with hysteresis circuit for receiving data on cross chip boundaries in a chip to chip interface has a clock section and a feed section and a hysteresis latch section with the feed section receiver enable input pin for a dataline passing through the receiver feed section and hysteresis latch section. The receiver enable input pin D is settable to a high or low voltage level, respectively turning the hysteresis latch section on said dataline ON or OFF. The hysteresis latch pass gate has clock couplings to the pgate and ngate of the PFET and NFET transistors of the pass gate. The drains of said pass gate PFET and NFET are coupled to ground and their sources to a positive potential provided over said data line.