Abstract: A multi-layer substrate structure to achieve multiple arrangements of power/ground domains is disclosed. The multi-layer substrate structure comprises a first layer for disposing an integrated circuit thereon and a second layer coupled to the first layer, wherein a connection structure is electrically connected to a plurality of power/ground domains on the second layer. With different combinations of the sawing lines and keep-out regions on the multi-layer substrate structure for cutting off some portions of the connection structure, the invention can achieve multiple arrangements of power/ground domains without impacting the customer's PCB or system board design so as to cut short the cycle time for engineering development phase.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method comprises providing a substrate having a conductive material thereon, forming a ground plane, a first trace rail, and a first perpendicular trace from the conductive material, and forming an insulator material over the ground plane, the first trace rail, and the first perpendicular trace. The ground plane is between the first trace rail and an area of the substrate over which will be a die. The first trace rail extends along a first outer edge of the ground plane, and the first perpendicular trace is coupled to the first trace rail and extends perpendicularly from the first trace rail.

Abstract: A multi-layer substrate structure to achieve multiple arrangements of power/ground domains is disclosed. The multi-layer substrate structure comprises a first layer for disposing an integrated circuit thereon and a second layer coupled to the first layer, wherein a connection structure is electrically connected to a plurality of power/ground domains on the second layer. With different combinations of the sawing lines and keep-out regions on the multi-layer substrate structure for cutting off some portions of the connection structure, the invention can achieve multiple arrangements of power/ground domains without impacting the customer's PCB or system board design so as to cut short the cycle time for engineering development phase.

Abstract: A filter auto-calibration system comprises a multi-clock module that includes a multi-clock generator configured to generate a first variable frequency signal based on a channel setting, the multi-clock generator comprising a quadrature signal generator configured to generate an in-phase component and a quadrature component of the first variable frequency signal; and a mixer configured to generate an in-phase component and a quadrature component of a quadrature signal from a received signal other than the first variable frequency signal. The system also comprises at least one filter to be calibrated, and an auto-calibration control module coupled to the multi-clock module and the at least one filter, the auto-calibration control module configured to receive the in-phase component and quadrature component of the first variable frequency signal from the multi-clock module, and configured to control calibration of the at least one filter based on the channel setting.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of arbitrating among a plurality of channels to access a resource, comprising the steps of: providing each channel an address back-to-back counter; assigning each address back-to-back counter an initial value and a pre-defined threshold, wherein the address back-to-back counter is updated according to the activities of back-to-back access to the resource by the channel; and providing each channel a contiguous window setting to define a number of contiguous times for the channel to access the resource; wherein a channel being served is to be served for contiguous times defined by the contiguous window setting of the channel if the address back-to-back counter value of the channel is higher than the pre-defined threshold of the channel.

Abstract: The present invention discloses pre-amplifier with a selectable threshold voltage in a decision feedback equalization circuit to reduce tap weight variation. A decision feedback equalization circuit includes a summer circuit and a pre-amplifier with an offset generator, wherein the pre-amplifier includes a pair of differential amplifiers and each biased by a respective current bias and each having first and second output nodes coupled to a supply voltage via a respective resistive element, R. The resistive elements may be implemented, for example, using diode-configured transistors, biased transistors, resistor, or any other active or passive circuitry for establishing a resistance. The inputs of first differential amplifier are coupled to the summer's output. The inputs of second differential amplifier are coupled to a reference voltage circuit that comprised of a resistive element and a respective current DAC (IDAC).

Abstract: A method for assembling multiple integrated circuit dies into a system-in-package chip is disclosed, the method comprising: providing a plurality of integrated circuit dies; disposing at least one redistribution layer on at least one of the plurality of integrated circuit dies for making wire connections among the plurality of integrated circuit dies without using a substrate underneath the plurality of integrated circuit dies; establishing wire connections among the plurality of integrated circuit dies and verifying the plurality of wire connections; and packaging the plurality of integrated circuit dies and the verified wire connections into a system-in-package chip.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a package substrate layout design to achieve multiple substrate functions for engineering development and verification. The substrate layout contains a connection structure to connect to a plurality of power/ground domains on the package substrate. With different combination of the cutting lines on the package substrate, the invention can achieve multiple substrate functions without impacting the customer's PCB or system board design and provide cost effective and fast cycle time for engineering development phase.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of to generate transaction ID(s) in a bus interconnection design. An encoding table for each slave can be derived by calculating all possible transactions from all the masters to the slave so as to determine the minimum width of the transaction ID received by the slave in the interconnecting bus design, thereby avoiding the routing congestion in the interconnecting bus.

Abstract: In this invention, a test system includes a tester and a switching module for connecting any pin to the tester for testing a device-under-test (DUT), the test system has a rectifying device between the ground of the DUT and the ground of the switching module in order to isolate the DUT from the switching module, thereby blocking unwanted current flowing between the DUT and the switching module to ensure the correctness of the testing. Since the ground of the switching module is not directly connected to the ground of the DUT and the tester, the rectifying device will keep the voltage difference between the ground of the switching module and the DUT in a range between zero and the cut-in voltage of the rectifying device, thereby allowing single-ended signals to be used between the switching module and the tester or the DUT.

Abstract: A method of determining the performance of a chip of an integrated-circuit design comprises instantiating a plurality of HPM in the integrated-circuit design to generate the performance of the chip according to a performance function defined by a polynomial comprising a plurality of terms, wherein each term of the polynomial comprises an exponent of a value generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of HPM(s) and a corresponding coefficient, wherein the coefficients are determined through a regression process with sample chips of the integrated-circuit design having known performance, so that the performance of each chip other than the sample chips can be determined by the performance function and the values of the plurality of HPM(s) of the chip.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an efficient way to match the impedance between a pull-up path and a pull-down path of an IO cell without using stacked devices on the output stage of the IO cell to save area and to achieve higher speed; back-gate (bulk or body) voltages of a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor of the IO cell can be respectively adjusted to a value to achieve the desired impedance values of the pull-up and pull-down paths. A central calibration unit can generate an impedance calibration code and distribute them to a local adjustable bias generator in each IO cell groups, wherein the local adjustable bias generator, which is embedded in a power or a ground pad, receives the impedance calibration code and generates bias voltages to the back-gates of the pull-up and pull-down transistors for setting impedance values of the pull-up and pull-down paths, respectively.

Abstract: A method for assembling multiple integrated circuit dies into a system-in-package chip is disclosed, the method comprising: providing a plurality of integrated circuit dies; disposing at least one redistribution layer on at least one of the plurality of integrated circuit dies for making wire connections among the plurality of integrated circuit dies without using a substrate underneath the plurality of integrated circuit dies; establishing wire connections among the plurality of integrated circuit dies and verifying the plurality of wire connections; and packaging the plurality of integrated circuit dies and the verified wire connections into a system-in-package chip.

Abstract: A device includes a spacer, which includes a recess extending from a top surface of the spacer into the spacer, and a conductive feature including a first portion and a second portion continuously connected to the first portion. The first portion extends into the recess. The second portion is on the top surface of the spacer. A die is attached to the spacer, and a lower portion of the first die extends into the recess.

Abstract: A temperature measurement circuit includes a sensing unit and a temperature translation unit. The sensing unit is arranged for generating a positive temperature coefficient characteristic and a negative temperature coefficient characteristic according to a temperature. The temperature translation unit is coupled to the sensing unit, and is arranged for generating a measured temperature according to the positive temperature coefficient characteristic and the negative temperature coefficient characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of arbitrating among a plurality of channels to access a resource, comprising the steps of: providing each channel an address back-to-back counter; assigning each address back-to-back counter an initial value and a pre-defined threshold, wherein the address back-to-back counter is updated according to the activities of back-to-back access to the resource by the channel; and providing each channel a contiguous window setting to define a number of contiguous times for the channel to access the resource; wherein a channel being served is to be served for contiguous times defined by the contiguous window setting of the channel if the address back-to-back counter value of the channel is higher than the pre-defined threshold of the channel.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an efficient way to read data from a memory device by aligning an internal clock of the memory interface circuit with the read data strobe signal from the memory device by delaying the internal clock along with control signals for reading the memory device before transmitting them to the memory device, wherein the internal clock of the memory controller can sample the read data from the memory device directly without using a FIFO device between the internal clock and the read data strobe so as to reduce latency of reading data from the memory device. For example, the memory device can be a double-data-rate (DDR) DRAM device, and the control signals includes command and address signals of the DDR DRAM device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a memory channel bridge with a BIST module; and the memory channel bridge interfaces other channels in a SOC to access a memory module. During a DFT test, SOC memory channels and the BIST access the memory module concurrently by using an arbiter in the memory channel bridge to arbitrate the traffics from the SOC memory channels and the BIST to ensure the correctness and completeness of the whole design.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of to generate transaction ID(s) in a bus interconnection design. An encoding table for each slave can be derived by calculating all possible transactions from all the masters to the slave so as to determine the minimum width of the transaction ID received by the slave in the interconnecting bus design, thereby avoiding the routing congestion in the interconnecting bus.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an efficient method to determine the performance of an integrated circuit or a chip by instantiating a plurality of HPM in the integrated circuit to generate the performance of the integrated circuit according to a performance function, wherein each term of the performance function is based on the values of the HPM(s) and the weighting of the term is determined through machine leaning, so that the performance of each chip can be determined by the performance function.