Abstract: Distributed traveling wave oscillator circuitry is disclosed. The oscillator circuitry includes a signal path, a plurality of active switching means, and a direction promoting means. The signal path is formed from a pair of adjacent conductors and exhibits endless electric or magnetic continuity. The signal path also includes a portion that creates a signal phase inversion which sets half-cycles of oscillation to be the time of a single traverse of the signal path by the signal. The plurality of active switching means is connected between the adjacent conductors of the signal path for setting rise and fall times of each said half-cycle of oscillation. The direction promoting means establishes the direction of the traveling wave on the signal path.

Abstract: A static ram cell is described. The cell includes a pair of cross-coupled transistors and a pair of diode-connected transistors operated from a wordline that provides power to the cell. The cell has three main operating modes, reading, writing, and data retention. Reading is performed by sensing current flowing from a powered-up wordline through a conductive one of the cross-coupled transistors. Writing is performed by pulsing the source of the conductive one of the cross-coupled transistors with a positive voltage to flip the conductive states of the cross-coupled transistors. Data retention is performed by using leakage currents to retain the conductive states of the cross-coupled transistors. A decoder for an array of static ram cells may be operated synchronously and in a pipelined fashion using a rotary traveling wave oscillator that provides the clocks for the pipeline. The cell is capable of detecting an alpha particle strike with suitable circuitry.

Abstract: A low noise oscillator constructed using a rotary traveling wave oscillator. The conductors of the rotary traveling wave oscillator provide at any tap position a pair of oppositely phased oscillations and these oscillations have slightly different phases at positions that are slightly different on the conductors. Regeneration devices establish and maintain oscillations on the conductors of the traveling wave oscillator. A regeneration device made from p-channel and n-channel transistors is connected to the conductors of the traveling wave oscillator in such a way that the gate connections of the transistors receive the traveling wavefront before the drains of the transistors receive the wavefront. By the time the regeneration device switches in response to the wavefront arriving at the gates of the transistors, the wavefront has arrived at the drains. This creates little or no disturbance to the wave on the conductors and results in low phase noise.

Abstract: Timing signal generation and distribution are combined in operation of a signal path exhibiting endless electromagnetic continuity affording signal phase inversion and having associated regenerative active means. Two- or more-phases of substantially square-wave bipolar signals arise directly in traveling wave transmission-line embodiments compatible with semiconductor fabrication including CMOS. Coordination by attainable frequency synchronism with phase coherence for several such oscillating signal paths has intra-IC inter-IC and printed circuit board impact.

Abstract: A method of generating a design for timing circuitry having plural rotary travelling wave component circuit sections, comprises the steps of first dividing an area to be serviced into regions each small enough for there to be negligible inter-region transmission-line delay at target operating frequency. The dividing perimeters of each said region are then divided into segments suitable for approximating lumped transmission-line LKR and relevant parameters determined so that time delays over each such segment are substantially equal to cycle time of desired frequency divided by twice the number of segments.

Abstract: A static ram cell is described. The cell includes a pair of cross-coupled transistors and a pair of diode-connected transistors operated from a wordline that provides power to the cell. The cell has three main operating modes, reading, writing, and data retention. Reading is performed by sensing current flowing from a powered-up wordline through a conductive one of the cross-coupled transistors. Writing is performed by pulsing the source of the conductive one of the cross-coupled transistors with a positive voltage to flip the conductive states of the cross-coupled transistors. Data retention is performed by using leakage currents to retain the conductive states of the cross-coupled transistors. A decoder for an array of static ram cells may be operated synchronously and in a pipelined fashion using a rotary traveling wave oscillator that provides the clocks for the pipeline. The cell is capable of detecting an alpha particle strike with suitable circuitry.

Abstract: Electronic circuitry for generating and distributing standing wave clock signals. The electronic circuitry includes one or more two-conductor transmission line segments that are interconnected with an odd number of voltage-reversing connections to form a closed loop. A regeneration device is connected between the conductors of the transmission line segments and operates to establish and maintain a standing wave on the loop. At any location on a segment there is a pair of oppositely phase oscillations.

Abstract: Timing signal generation and distribution are combined in operation of a signal path exhibiting endless electromagnetic continuity affording signal phase inversion and having associated regenerative active means. Two-or more-phases of substantially square-wave bipolar signals arise directly in travelling wave transmission-line embodiments compatible with semiconductor fabrication including CMOS. Coordination by attainable frequency synchronism with phase coherence for several such oscillating signal paths has intra-IC inter-IC and printed circuit board impact.