Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for modifying memory device timing and voltage. A detection module detects a change of memory device stress. A timing modification module modifies the memory device timing in response to the change of the memory device stress. In addition, a voltage modification module modifies the memory device voltage in response to the change of the memory device stress. In one embodiment, a processor pause module pauses the operation of a processor module while the timing modification module modifies the memory device timing and the voltage modification module modifies the memory device voltage.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing a reflection coefficient below a predetermined value thereby reducing jitter by the variation of the effective impedance of a driver appearing to be bounded during state transitions. The driver may include a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver. In the pull-up driver, the transistors may be switched from a first state to a second state in a staggered fashion where the first state is complementary to the second state; In the pull-down driver, the transistors may be switched from a second state to a first state in a staggered fashion. By staggering the switching of the transistors in the pull-up driver and the pull-down driver, a portion of the current may flow from the pull-up driver to the pull-down driver thereby causing the variation of the effective impedance of the driver to appear to be bounded during state transitions.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing a reflection coefficient below a predetermined value thereby reducing jitter by the variation of the effective impedance of a driver appearing to be bounded during state transitions. The driver may comprise a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver. In the pull-driver, the transistors may be switched from a first state to a second state in a staggered fashion where the first state is complementary to the second state. In the pull-down driver, the transistors may be switched from a second state to a first state in a staggered fashion. By staggering the switching of the transistors in the pull-up driver and the pull-down driver, a portion of the current may flow from the pull-up driver to the pull-down driver thereby causing the variation of the effective impedance of the driver to appear to be bounded during state transitions.

Abstract: A method of on-chip interconnect design in an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. Fast circuit simulations of each net constituting the IC are performed for noise margin and slew rate analysis. A resistor/capacitor (RC) network for each net is generated from net lengths, and assignments of parasitic cross-coupling capacitances and shunt capacitances derived from three-dimensional field solver evaluations of pre-routing phase estimated wire geometries. If the noise margin and slew rate criteria are not satisfied for the net under simulation, the simulations are iterated, with a new wire geometry selected between iterations, until the criteria are satisfied. Each net is tagged with a wire geometry that satisfies noise margin and slew rate requirements which can then be passed to a routing tool.

Abstract: Circuit and method aspects are provided for voltage level translation circuit for an output driver. In a circuit aspect, a circuit includes an input mechanism for receiving an internal data signal of a first predetermined voltage range, at least two stacked transistors coupled to the input mechanism, and a bias generator coupled to the input mechanism and the at least two stacked transistors, the bias generator ensuring that the at least two stacked transistors operate below a predetermined maximum device voltage. The circuit further includes an output mechanism coupled to the at least two stacked transistors, the output mechanism providing an external signal of a second predetermined voltage range.

Abstract: An output driver which maintains over voltage protection on individual circuit elements, providing either a level shifted logic high or a floating-state on its output. The output driver includes a latch driven by a set circuit and a reset circuit. The latch output drives an output stage which produces a level shifted logic high when the latch is set and a floating-state when the latch is reset. Minimal voltage is applied across individual circuit elements by supplying power in concurrent incremental voltage levels to the output driver.

Abstract: Circuit and method aspects for translating acceptable voltage levels from an external device to acceptable voltage levels of an internal device are provided. These aspects include coupling an input receiver between the external device and the internal device, the input receiver including a clamp device, and coupling a bias generator to the input receiver at the clamp device, wherein the bias generator ensures proper translation of a high level input signal from the external device by the input receiver. The bias generator further ensures that a predetermined maximum device voltage of the clamp device is not exceeded.

Abstract: A decoupling capacitor for an integrated circuit is operatively coupled to a supply and to control circuitry for isolating the capacitor. The control circuitry automatically isolates the capacitor in response to a current through the capacitor exceeding a certain threshold, but tends to restore the capacitor to operation if the current is merely caused by momentary conditions, rather than substantial failure of the capacitor. The control circuitry includes a first control device for automatically switching to an off state to isolate the capacitor in response to a voltage produced by the current exceeding a certain threshold. A discharging device tends to discharge the voltage and automatically turn on the first device when the current is caused by momentary conditions. The discharging device may include a control device responsive to an external control signal for switching the first control device on and off.

Abstract: With first semiconductor circuitry, a first signal is received having a first voltage between a voltage A and a voltage B. With second semiconductor circuitry, a second signal is output having a second voltage between a voltage C and a voltage D in response to the first signal. C is greater than A, and D is greater than B.

Abstract: A computer system having a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) bus and an industry standard architecture (ISA), with ISA compatible devices coupled to the ISA bus, is provided with a first bridge coupled between the PCI and ISA buses. The first bridge has a first direct memory access (DMA) control circuit for controlling DMA transfers with the ISA devices. In order to achieve expanded compatibility with other types of devices, the system is also provided with an expansion bus, such as a Microchannel bus, with Microchannel compatible devices coupled to the Microchannel bus. A second bridge is coupled between the PCI and the Microchannel buses. This second bridge has a second DMA control circuit that controls DMA transfers with the ISA devices and with the Microchannel devices. Software disables the first DMA control circuit such that only the second DMA control circuit controls DMA transfers within the computer system.

Abstract: A bridge for interfacing buses in a computer system having an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus and a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) bus is coupled between the ISA and PCI buses. Devices coupled to the buses are either PCI bus-compliant devices or are non-PCI bus-compliant devices. A power management device in the computer system is able to place the computer system into a low power suspend mode, a resume mode and an active mode. The bridge has a multi-tiered arbitration device for arbitrating among the PCI bus-compliant devices and the non-PCI bus-compliant devices for control of the computer system. The arbitration device is responsive to the power management device to controllably suspend arbitration when the power management device indicates that the suspend mode is being entered.

Abstract: An integrated circuit mechanism is provided for coupling the separate sets of output lines from a plurality of programmable logic arrays to the same set of bus lines of plural-line signal transfer bus. This coupling mechanism includes precharge circuitry for precharging each of the bus lines during a first time interval. This coupling mechanism also includes a separate strobe signal line for each programmable logic array and circuitry for activating one of the strobe signal lines during a second time interval for selecting a particular programmable logic array. This coupling mechanism further includes a separate output buffer for each programmable logic array. Each such output buffer includes a plurality of buffer stages for individually coupling the different ones of the programmable logic array output lines to their respective bus lines.

Abstract: A clocking mechanism is provided for multiple overlapped dynamic programmable logic arrays which are used in a digital control unit wherein a sequence of control words are used to produce successive groups of control point signals. Such a control unit includes a plurality of dynamic programmable logic arrays for individually producing different ones of the control words. Each such control word includes a strobe field which is coded to identify a programmable logic array other than the one which produced it. The control unit also includes control circuitry responsive to the control words for producing the control point signals for successive machine control cycles. The control circuitry includes circuitry responsive to the strobe field in each control word for producing a strobe signal for selecting the next programmable logic array to supply a control word to the control circuitry.

Abstract: As a specific improvement to a previously known PLA (Programmed Logic Array) structure, formed by FET devices in serially chained charge transfer circuits, the presently disclosed "modified" PLA structure comprises a combination of: (a) level shifting circuitry, integrated into bit partitioning stages of the known structure, for reducing voltage swings in the outputs of those stages and thereby reducing spurious couplings to the following AND array stage as well as decreasing operational delays of the latter stage; (b) discrete capacitance, added at the output end of the OR array stage of the known structure, for sustaining and reinforcing charge conditions accumulated in that stage prior to readout (validation clocking) of that stage; and (c) a source of time related clocking functions coupled to stages of the modified structure, with the timing relationships selected so as to reduce operational delays of the entire structure while improving its integrity of operation.

Abstract: A logic performing cell for use in array structures is provided which allows greater density fabrication in integrated circuits and reduces operational delays. The array has a plurality of output lines intercepted by a plurality of orthogonally oriented input lines, with elements in the form of a three terminal device located at each of the intersections of the input and output lines so that logical functions are performed on interrogation signals placed on the input lines and the responses thereto placed on the output lines. The three terminal device transfer gates are connected in groups of series strings which are connected in parallel to a recombination line. These groups of series connected transfer gates comprise a programmed mix of enhancement and depletion devices. Each logic function of each group of transfer gates establishes an output which, when coupled to the recombining output circuit line, provides an overall logic function for the logic performing cell.

Abstract: A charge coupled device analog multiplier is used to weigh the sampled and delayed signals for a transversal filter. The digital filter coefficients for the analog multiplier can be electrically programmed and therefore dynamic time-varying systems, such as matched filters, can be designed with reduced circuit complexity. The digital filter includes means for sampling without destroying an analog signal at various points and providing voltages proportional to each sampled signal. The voltages are separately applied to a charge coupled device analog multiplier which accepts the voltages and provides means for multiplying the digital filter coefficient by the analog voltage. The multiplied sample signal is then dumped into a means for summing all of the weighted sample signals to produce an analog signal modified by the digital filter coefficients.

Abstract: Disclosed is an interlaced serial-parallel-serial (SPS) charge coupled device (CCD) memory with improved clocking. By performing the interlacing as well as the serial-parallel-serial function with only seven clock pulses, less metallurgy and consequently less space per bit on a semiconductor chip is required. By reducing the number of clock requirements, the supporting logic circuitry is simplified permitting a larger portion of the semiconductor chip area to be used for data bit storage.