Abstract: An abutment structure comprises a power rail, a ground rail parallel to the power rail, first cells and second cells. An area is defined between the power and the ground rails. A portion of each first and second cell overlaps the power and the ground rails, and another portion thereof is within the area. The first cells are within the abutment structure with original patterns thereof. The second cells respectively has an original pattern and a base pattern being a flip pattern of the original pattern, and are within the area with alternate of the original and the base patterns. The first and the second cells are within the area alternately without overlapping. Alternatively, the first and the second cells may also be within different areas, and the second cells are within different areas respectively with the base pattern and a flip pattern of the base pattern thereof.

Abstract: Circuit with flat electromagnetic band gap resonance structure, includes a plurality of flat units formed at a conductor layer; each flat unit spirally revolves inward from a first end to an internal point following a rotation direction, and spirally revolves outward from the internal point to a second end following an opposite rotation direction. Each flat unit is connected to a ground plane by a conductive stand (e.g., a via) at a connection point, for suppressing noise resonances at certain frequencies, and the frequencies are related to a stub length of each flat unit, and the stub length is related to a route length from the connection point to an end.

Abstract: A differential circuit system is provided. The differential circuit system includes: a different circuit set including a plurality of differential circuits, a voltage regulator, and a current drainage circuit set. The differential circuits are electrically connected between a first node and a second node, and each differential circuit generates a current flowing from the first node to the second node. A high voltage is provided to the first node and a low voltage is provided to the second node. The first node receives an external voltage. According to the first voltage, the voltage regulator generates the low voltage. The low voltage is provided to the second node. The current drainage circuit set generates a drainage current in between the second node and a ground voltage. A superposed current flowing to the voltage regulator is difference of the summation of currents minus the conducting current.

Abstract: A clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit and method are disclosed herein. The CDR circuit includes a data analysis module, a loop filter module and a phase adjust module. The data analysis module generates an error signal according to an input data, a first clock signal, and a second clock signal. The loop filter module generates a first corrective signal according to the error signal, a frequency threshold value, and a phase threshold value. The phase adjust module generates the first clock signal and the second clock signal according to the first corrective signal. The loop filter module further accumulates the error signal to generate an accumulated value, and to compare the accumulated value with an accumulated threshold value, so as to dynamically adjust the accumulated threshold value, the frequency threshold value, and the phase threshold value.

Abstract: A boundary scan circuit containing a freeze circuit and a transparency circuit that provides a capability to selectively place portions of a system logic in a sleep mode and thereby conserving power. There are two transparency circuit configurations, one that connects to an input pad cell and one that connects to an output pad cell. The circuitry in the transparency circuit is controlled in such a manner as to establish at the output of transparency circuit a known logic state to control leakage current resulting from the circuitry of the various pad cell configurations, which further conserves power during sleep mode.

Abstract: An analog to digital converter is disclosed herein. The analog to digital converter includes a bit conversion module and a control module. The bit conversion module is configured to generate a quantization output in accordance with an input signal. The control module is configured to control the bit conversion module, so as to make the bit conversion module operate in one of a sigma delta mode and a successive approximation mode.

Abstract: An eye diagram measuring circuit includes a reference signal generator, a clock data recovery circuit, a test signal generator, and a boundary determining unit. The reference signal generator generates a reference signal. The clock data recovery circuit generates a clock signal according to the reference signal. The test signal generator generates a first sampling signal according to the clock signal. The test signal generator discriminates logic levels of plural bits of the input signal according to the first sampling signal and a slicing voltage, thereby generating a test signal. The boundary determining unit generates a boundary of an eye diagram according to a relationship between the test signal and the reference signal. The test signal generator changes a phase of the first sampling signal and a magnitude of the slicing voltage according to plural conditions provided by the boundary determining unit.

Abstract: A method and associated processing module for an interconnection system, providing a pre-tap tuning directing and a post-tap tuning directing. The interconnection system includes a transmitter filter and a receiver equalizer; the transmitter filter performs filtering according to a pre-tap and a post-tap, and the receiver equalizer performs equalization according to an equalizer tap. The pre-tap tuning directing includes: forming an indicative pattern with a plurality of data samples and a transition sample from an equalized signal, comparing if the indicative pattern matches predetermined pattern(s), and accordingly directing whether the pre-tap is incremented/decremented. The post-tap tuning directing selects whether the post-tap is incremented/decremented according to a positive/negative sign of the equalizer tap.

Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor device and associated method, which includes a substrate, a first die, multiple sub-package systems surrounding the first die, and a heat spreader. The first die and the sub-package systems are installed on a same surface of the substrate, wherein projections of the first die and each sub-package system on the surface partially overlap, and have a portion not overlapping. Each of the sub-package systems includes an interposer and multiple second dice installed on the interposer by way of flip-chip. The heat spreader includes a protrusion portion and a dissipation plate; the dissipation plate covers the first die and the sub-package systems, and the protrusion portion is set between the dissipation plate and the first die.

Abstract: A method and associated processing module for an interconnection system, providing a pre-tap tuning directing and a post-tap tuning directing. The interconnection system includes a transmitter filter and a receiver equalizer; the transmitter filter performs filtering according to a pre-tap and a post-tap, and the receiver equalizer performs equalization according to an equalizer tap. The pre-tap tuning directing includes: forming an indicative pattern with a plurality of data samples and a transition sample from an equalized signal, comparing if the indicative pattern matches predetermined pattern(s), and accordingly directing whether the pre-tap is incremented/decremented. The post-tap tuning directing selects whether the post-tap is incremented/decremented according to a positive/negative sign of the equalizer tap.

Abstract: Method for input/output (IO) design of a chip, including: according to a signal IO pin sequence and associated driving parameters, sequentially placing a signal IO cell in the IO design associated with each of the signal IO pins; after a signal IO cell is placed, performing a simultaneous switching output (SSO) verification step according to physical layout parameters and locations of the signal IO cells placed in the IO design, so as to check whether an SSO specification is violated; if not violated, continuing to place a signal IO cell of a next signal IO pin; if violated, including a decoupling capacitor, an IO power cell and/or an IO ground cell in the IO design.

Abstract: A two-stage post driver circuit includes a controlling circuit, a pull-up unit and a pull-down unit. A first N-type transistor of the pull-down unit and a first P-type transistor of the pull-up unit are both connected to an output pad. The controlling circuit is used for controlling the first N-type transistor and the first P-type transistor. Consequently, when the pull-up unit or the pull-down unit is turned on, the voltage difference between the drain terminal and the source terminal of the first N-type transistor or the first P-type transistor is lower than a voltage stress.

Abstract: Phase offset cancellation circuit and associated clock generator, include a first modifying phase interpolator and a second modifying phase interpolator, and provide a first modified clock and a second modified clock according to a first to a fourth input clocks; wherein the first and the third clocks are of opposite phases. The first modifying phase interpolator performs equal phase interpolation between the first and the second input clocks to generate the first modified clock, and the second modifying phase interpolator performs equal phase interpolation between the third and the fourth input clocks to generate the second modified clock, such that a phase difference between the first modified clock and the second modified clock is of substantially 90 degrees, against phase offsets between the first to the fourth input clocks.

Abstract: A receiver circuit is provided which receives an external signal of high voltage and provides a corresponding internal signal of low voltage. The receiver circuit includes a voltage limiter, a level down shifter and an inverter of low operation voltage. The level down shifter has a front node and a back node, and includes a transistor with a gate and a source respectively coupled to the voltage limiter and the inverter at the front node and the back node. The voltage limiter limits level of the external signal transmitted to the front node, the level down shifter shifts down a signal of the front node by a cross voltage to generate a signal of the back node, and the inverter inverts the signal of the back node to generate the internal signal.

Abstract: ESD clamp circuit is provided, including an RC circuit, a first transistor, a second transistor, an ESD conduction unit and an inverter. The first transistor has a gate and a drain respectively coupled to the RC circuit and a control terminal of the ESD conduction unit. The inverter has an input terminal coupled to the control terminal. The second transistor has a drain and a gate respectively coupled to the control terminal and an output terminal of the inverter. The gates of the first and second transistors are isolated; also the output terminal and the gate of the first transistor are isolated.

Abstract: A two-stage post driver circuit includes a controlling circuit, a pull-up unit and a pull-down unit. A first N-type transistor of the pull-down unit and a first P-type transistor of the pull-up unit are both connected to an output pad. The controlling circuit is used for controlling the first N-type transistor and the first P-type transistor. Consequently, when the pull-up unit or the pull-down unit is turned on, the voltage difference between the drain terminal and the source terminal of the first N-type transistor or the first P-type transistor is lower than a voltage stress.

Abstract: A current-mode D latch includes a first load element, a second load element, a first bias current source, a first switch transistor, a second switch transistor, a first stage circuit and a second stage circuit. The first switch transistor is controlled by an inverted reset signal. The second switch transistor is controlled by a reset signal. When an inverted clock signal is in a first level state and the reset signal is inactive, the first input signal is converted into the first output signal and the first inverted input signal is converted into the first inverted output signal by the first stage circuit. When a clock signal is in the first level state and the reset signal is inactive, the first output signal and the first inverted output signal are maintained by the second stage circuit.

Abstract: Eye diagram scan circuit and associated method for a receiver circuit, including a level adjust circuit, a phase interpolator and a control module. The receiver circuit provides a first data signal and a primary phase data according to a received signal. The control module provides a phase offset data and a level offset data. The level adjust circuit adjusts a level of the received signal in respond to the level offset data; the phase interpolator triggers according to a sum of the phase offset data and the primary phase data, so a second data signal is provide in response to the level-adjusted received signal. The control module compares the first data signal and the second data signal, and accordingly provides an eye diagram scan result for the phase offset data and the level offset data.

Abstract: A receiver circuit receives an incoming signal and accordingly provides an internal signal, and includes an equalizer, a slicer module and a counter module. The equalizer provides a signal level according to the incoming signal, the slicer module compares if the internal signal exceeds a level range; according to comparison result, the counter module provides a signal quality indication capable of indicating whether a bit error rate of signal receiving is greater than a predetermined reference bit error rate. One of an upper bound and a lower bound of the level range can equal the signal level, a distance between the upper bound and the lower bound is set according to a reference signal-to-noise ratio which associates with the reference bit error rate.

Abstract: A current-mode D latch includes a first load element, a second load element, a first bias current source, a first switch transistor, a second switch transistor, a first stage circuit and a second stage circuit. The first switch transistor is controlled by an inverted reset signal. The second switch transistor is controlled by a reset signal. When an inverted clock signal is in a first level state and the reset signal is inactive, the first input signal is converted into the first output signal and the first inverted input signal is converted into the first inverted output signal by the first stage circuit. When a clock signal is in the first level state and the reset signal is inactive, the first output signal and the first inverted output signal are maintained by the second stage circuit.