Abstract: A receiver integrated circuit (IC) die or functional unit has deskew circuitry to reduce bit-to-bit timing variation that is no more than one bit time interval in a number of bits that are received, before validating the capture of the bits using a transition in a received strobe signal. The data bits and the strobe signal are driven in a parallel bus section that may be part of a shared multi-drop bus or a point-to-point bus. The system applications include interfacing to a processor or memory bus of a computer system.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves an electrical system including a die having field effect transistors (FETs), the die having a target acceptable leakage level. A body bias voltage source to apply a voltage Vbb1 to bodies of the FETs to forward body bias the FETs. A temperature reduction system to provide a temperature reduction to the die such that the die is in a temperature range, and wherein when the temperature of the die is in the temperature range and the voltage Vbb1 is applied to the bodies, a leakage of the die is not more than the target acceptable leakage level, but if the temperature reduction system were not operated and the voltage Vbb1 is applied to the bodies, then the leakage would be above the target acceptable leakage level. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a circuit including a first set of conductors to carry a current bit set and last bit set circuitry to hold and provide a last bit set. The circuit also includes drivers coupled to interconnect conductors to provide signals from the drivers to the interconnect conductors and an encoder to receive the last bit set and the current bit set and determine whether to provide the current bit set or an encoded version of the current bit set to the drivers.

Abstract: A synchronous clock generator for an integrated circuit is described in which a delay lock loop circuit may be used to delay a first input signal. A delay circuit is coupled to the delay lock loop circuit and receives a control voltage from the delay lock loop circuit, which is used to delay a second input signal. The first and second input signal may be complimentary.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves multiple integrated circuit stubs coupled in series. At least one of the integrated circuit stubs including first conductors to receive signals from a first adjacent one of the integrated circuit stubs, second conductors to provide signals to a second adjacent one of the integrated circuit stubs, and third conductors to provide signals to an integrated circuit chip. The integrated circuit stubs include first drivers and second drivers coupled to the first, second, and third conductors, wherein the first drivers receive the external signals from the first conductors and drive them onto the second conductors and the second drivers receive signals from the first conductors and drive them onto the third conductors.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus, method and means for capturing data. In an aspect, a differential and complementary input folded-cascode clocked amplifier is provided. In an aspect, the invention provides rail-to-rail input common-mode voltage range. In an aspect, the invention provides a setup/hold time window that is smaller than the setup/hold time window of a conventional clocked amplifier and a conventional input amplifier with a separate amplifier and latch. In an aspect, the invention provides high common-mode rejection as compared with conventional clocked sense amplifiers.

Abstract: In an electronic system having first and second logic devices, a free running on-chip clock signal is generated by the first logic device, where the signal has a frequency that is controlled to match that of a global free-running clock signal received by both devices. The on-chip clock signal is synchronized to a strobe signal received by the first device and that was transmitted in association with a data signal by the second device. A logic function is repeatedly performed as synchronized by the first clock signal, to repeatedly generate one or more bits from the data signal.

Abstract: The invention provides, in an embodiment, an apparatus, method and means for unintrusively observing, echoing and reading signals transmitted by one of a bus and wireless communication, without disturbing electrical properties of the bus, without adding bus latency, and without adding signal discontinuities. In an aspect, a buffer having a trigger is coupled with a component that connects to a memory bus, the buffer echoes signals to an observability port, and a diagnostic device reads the echoed signals. In an aspect, the bus is one of a simultaneous bi-directional (SBD) bus having ternary logic levels, a single ended bus, a differential bus, an optically coupled bus, a chipset bus, a frontside bus, an input/output (I/O) bus, a peripheral component interface (PCI) bus, and an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus. In an aspect, the buffer echoes bus signals having frequencies between 500 MHz. and 5 GHz. In an aspect, the buffer echoes bus signals having frequencies of at least 5 GHz.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus, method and means for capturing data. In an aspect, a differential and complementary input folded-cascode clocked amplifier is provided. In an aspect, the invention provides rail-to-rail input common-mode voltage range. In an aspect, the invention provides a setup/hold time window that is smaller than the setup/hold time window of a conventional clocked amplifier and a conventional input amplifier with a separate amplifier and latch. In an aspect, the invention provides high common-mode rejection as compared with conventional clocked sense amplifiers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for power throttling in a microprocessor. A voltage source supplies voltage to the microprocessor, and a clock source operates the microprocessor at a desired frequency. In one embodiment, a power monitor is configured to measure the short term power consumption of the microprocessor. In another embodiment, a temperature sensor measures the temperature of the microprocessor. Control logic is coupled to the voltage source and the clock source. The control logic receives an indication of the power consumption or temperature, as applicable, and compares it to a predetermined value. In response to the comparison, the control logic varies the supply voltage and the frequency.

Abstract: In an electronic system having first and second logic devices, a free running on-chip clock signal is generated by the first logic device, where the signal has a frequency that is controlled to match that of a global free-running clock signal received by both devices. The on-chip clock signal is synchronized to a strobe signal received by the first device and that was transmitted in association with a data signal by the second device. A logic function is repeatedly performed as synchronized by the first clock signal, to repeatedly generate one or more bits from the data signal.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a system including an integrated circuit. The system a circuit including transistors. The system further includes control circuitry to control a setting of a body bias signal to control body biases provided in the circuit to at least partially control a parameter of the integrated circuit, the setting of the body bias signal being responsive to an input signal to the control circuitry. In some embodiments, the invention involves a system including an integrated circuit. The system a circuit including transistors. The system further includes control circuitry to control settings of a body bias signal, a supply voltage signal, and a clock signal to control body biases, supply voltages, and clock frequencies provided in the circuit to at least partially control a parameter of the integrated circuit, the setting of the body bias signal, supply voltage signal, and clock signal being responsive to an input signal to the control circuitry.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a system including an integrated circuit. The system a circuit including transistors. The system further includes control circuitry to control a setting of a body bias signal to control body biases provided in the circuit to at least partially control a parameter of the integrated circuit, the setting of the body bias signal being responsive to an input signal to the control circuitry. In some embodiments, the invention involves a system including an integrated circuit. The system a circuit including transistors. The system further includes control circuitry to control settings of a body bias signal, a supply voltage signal, and a clock signal to control body biases, supply voltages, and clock frequencies provided in the circuit to at least partially control a parameter of the integrated circuit, the setting of the body bias signal, supply voltage signal, and clock signal being responsive to an input signal to the control circuitry.

Abstract: A latch having increased soft error rate tolerance includes cross-coupled inverters having transistors with varying sizes. Diffusion regions of transistors coupled to storage nodes are kept small to reduce the effect of charge accumulation resulting from particles bombarding the bulk of an integrated circuit die. Transistors having gates coupled to the storage nodes are increased in size to increase the capacitance on the storage nodes. The reduced size of diffusion regions and increased size of gates on storage nodes combine to reduce the effects of accumulated charge. Diffusion region area is further reduced by reducing the size of pass gates that load normal data and scan data. A large capacitor is coupled to a feedback node within the cross-coupled inverters to further reduce the effect of accumulated charge.

Abstract: A frequency control unit has an input to receive a digital downstream strobe signal and an output to provide a controlled delay to the input strobe signal. A downstream latch has a data input to receive a digital downstream data signal and a clock input coupled to the output of the frequency control unit. The controlled delay is essentially equal to a set up time of the latch. A delay element coupled to the output of the frequency control unit further delays the downstream strobe signal by essentially a propagation time of the latch. Output drivers are coupled to the outputs of the latch and the delay element.

Abstract: In some embodiments, In some embodiments, the invention includes an electrical system having a functional unit block (FUB) including field effect transistors (FETs). A distributed forward body bias (FBB) voltage generation system provides at least one body bias signal to at least some of the FETs of the FUB such that the at least some of the FETs have a constant FBB. In some embodiments, the system includes a constant differential voltage generator and a distributed body bias generator to receive a set of differential signals from the constant differential voltage generator and provide at least one body bias signal to at least some of the FETs of the FUB such that the at least some of the FETs have a constant forward body bias. In some embodiments, the system includes multiple body bias generators coupled to corresponding FUBs receive a set of differential signals from a single constant differential voltage generator.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a ground voltage node to provide a ground voltage and pFET transistors having an n-type body electrically coupled to the ground voltage node to forward body bias the pFET transistors. Another embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a supply voltage node to provide a supply voltage and NFET transistors having a p-type body electrically coupled to the supply voltage node to forward body bias the NFET transistors. Still another embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a ground voltage node to provide a ground voltage and pFET transistors having an n-type body electrically coupled to the ground voltage node to forward body bias the pFET transistors. The circuit also includes a supply voltage node to provide a supply voltage and NFET transistors having a p-type body electrically coupled to the supply voltage node to forward body bias the nFET transistors.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention includes a system having a processor and control circuitry. The control circuitry controls a setting of a body bias signal to control body biases provided in the processor to at least partially control a parameter of the processor, wherein the control circuitry controls the setting responsive to processor signal resulting for execution of software. The control circuitry may further control settings of a supply voltage signal and a clock signal to control the parameter. More than one parameter may be controlled. Examples of the parameters include performance, power consumption, and temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for power throttling in a microprocessor. A voltage source supplies voltage to the microprocessor, and a clock source operates the microprocessor at a desired frequency. In one embodiment, a power monitor is configured to measure the short term power consumption of the microprocessor. In another embodiment, a temperature sensor measures the temperature of the microprocessor. Control logic is coupled to the voltage source and the clock source. The control logic receives an indication of the power consumption or temperature, as applicable, and compares it to a predetermined value. In response to the comparison, the control logic varies the supply voltage and the frequency.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a ground voltage node to provide a ground voltage and pFET transistors having an n-type body electrically coupled to the ground voltage node to forward body bias the pFET transistors. Another embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a supply voltage node to provide a supply voltage and nFET transistors having a p-type body electrically coupled to the supply voltage node to forward body bias the nFET transistors. Still another embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor circuit including a ground voltage node to provide a ground voltage and pFET transistors having an n-type body electrically coupled to the ground voltage node to forward body bias the pFET transistors. The circuit also includes a supply voltage node to provide a supply voltage and nFET transistors having a p-type body electrically coupled to the supply voltage node to forward body bias the nFET transistors.