Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William E. Zitelli, Esq.
  • Patent number: 6437605
    Abstract: A sense amplifier (10) is disclosed comprising: a connecting node (12) connectable to a plurality of logic cells (13) for reading the logic states thereof; at least one output (16, 18, 20); circuitry (14) for transferring the read logic states from the connecting node (12) to the at least one output; and a circuit (50) dynamically operative to limit the voltage at the connecting node (12) substantially to a predetermined voltage. In one embodiment, the circuit (50) includes a pass transistor (46) coupled between the connecting node (12) and the transferring circuit (14) and operative to conduct the logic states read from the logic cells to the transferring circuit; and a capacitive divider circuit (54, 56) coupled to a voltage source (Vdd) for producing at a node (52) thereof the predetermined voltage as a fraction of the voltage of the source, the node (52) being coupled to the pass transistor (46) to limit the voltage at the connecting node (12) substantially to the predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Lovejoy