Two Or More Clocks (e.g., Phase Clocking, Etc.) Patents (Class 326/96)
  • Patent number: 7193444
    Abstract: A latching circuit having a clock signal input and a data input, includes an inverting delay circuit having an input connected to DATA IN and having an output signal s1, a NAND circuit having a first input connected to signal s1, a second input connected to the clock signal, and an output signal s2, an OR circuit having a first input connected to the data input, a second input connected to s2, and an output signal s3, and a FLIP-FLOP circuit whose first input is connected to s2, whose second input connected to s3, and whose output is OUT Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Chris Karabatsos
  • Patent number: 7180332
    Abstract: A clock synchronization circuit for synchronizing a first clock signal and a second clock signal for data transfer from a first function block, which is clocked by the first clock signal, to a second function block which is clocked by the second clock signal, where the clock synchronization circuit has a sampling unit for sampling the second clock signal using the first clock signal in order to generate samples and edge detection values of the sampled second clock signal, a logic circuit for outputting the generated edge detection values as a reconstructed clock signal and generating an Edge-too-Early signal and an Edge-too-Late signal; and a signal delay circuit, which delays the reconstructed second clock signal on the bases of the Edge-too-Early signal or the Edge-too-Late signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Lorenzo Di Gregorio
  • Patent number: 7154303
    Abstract: In a dynamic circuit, when only between a precharge node and an intermediate node through a plurality of logical-operating MOS transistors is conducted, the potential of the precharge node approximately drops to High*{C1/(C1+C2)} from High, where C1 represents the capacitance of the precharge node and C2 represents the capacitance of the intermediate node. Thereafter, with the charge from a power supply, the precharge node returns to High. At this charge sharing time, the amount of charge supply from the power supply is adjusted to suppress voltage drop of the precharge node, thereby reducing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Yano
  • Patent number: 7154305
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring frequencies of periodic electrical signals are disclosed. According to one technique, a first and second counters are respectively clocked by a first periodic electrical signal to be monitored and a second periodic electrical, and a threshold detector resets one of the counters when a count of the other counter crosses a reset threshold and determines whether a frequency error has occurred based on whether a count of the one of the counters crosses an alarm threshold. Another technique according to an embodiment of the invention also involves clocking counters with respective periodic electrical signals, although error detection is based on whether the counts of the counters cross respective associated thresholds in other than a particular sequence with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Steve Driediger, Dion Pike
  • Patent number: 7142019
    Abstract: System and method for reducing power-on transient current magnitude on distributed header switches. A preferred embodiment comprises a distributed header switch coupling a circuit to a power supply, the distributed header switch comprising a linear sequence of combination switches, each combination switches containing a pre-charge switch and a header switch. A first-pass involves sequentially turning on each of the pre-charge switches, which enables a voltage level at the distributed header switch to approach that of a final voltage level and a second-pass involves sequentially turning on each of the header switches. Since the voltage level at the distributed header switches is close to the final voltage level, a resulting transient current is small in magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Hugh T. Mair, Rolf Lagerquist
  • Patent number: 7129754
    Abstract: An LSDL circuit replaces the normal clock control of the pre-charge device for the dynamic node with a control signal that is logic zero whenever the circuit is in an active mode and is a logic one when the circuit is in standby mode. The pre-charge device holds the dynamic node at a pre-charged logic one state independent of the clock. During the logic one evaluate time of the clock, the logic tree determines the asserted state of the dynamic node. During the evaluate time, the asserted state is latched by the static LSDL section. The dynamic node then re-charges to the pre-charge state. Since the pre-charge device is not de-gated during the evaluate time, the dynamic node cannot be inadvertently discharged by noise causing an error. Likewise, since the clock does not couple to the pre-charge device a load is removed from the clock tree lowering clock power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hung C. Ngo, Jayakumaran Sivagnaname, Kevin J. Nowka, Robert K. Montoye
  • Patent number: 7095252
    Abstract: The present invention relates to dynamic hardware logic of computer processors. In particular, it relates to a method and respective system for operating a dynamic logic circuit implementing some predetermined logic function with reduced charge sharing. In order to further reduce charge sharing it is proposed to provide a predetermined number of pre-engineered switching arrangements (24, 26, 28) implementing the same logic function with a different combinatorial distribution of input variables (A, B, C), wherein each arrangement is connected between said precharged node of higher potential and a lower potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Haase, Wilhelm Haller, Rolf Sautter, Christoph Wandel
  • Patent number: 7088144
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a modified dynamic flip-flop avoids the power waste created by prior art dynamic flip-flops by including a conditional pre-charge control circuit and method. When the modified dynamic flip-flop is in a holding mode, i.e., in the clock disable state, the modified dynamic flip-flop does not use power pre-charging and discharging the internal dynamic node every cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Tang, Edgardo F. Klass, Geoffrey M. Pilling
  • Patent number: 7075336
    Abstract: A method for distributing clocks to flip-flop circuits which constitute a logic circuit includes obtaining a timing slack of a first minimum delay time with respect to a minimum delay constraint time and a timing slack of a first maximum delay time with respect to a maximum delay constraint time for a clock in an input path to a flip-flop circuit, obtaining a timing slack of a second minimum delay time with respect to a minimum delay constraint time and a timing slack of a second maximum delay time with respect to a maximum delay constraint time for a clock in an output path from all the flip-flop circuits which receive the clocks from a clock terminal directly and obtaining a delay value which maximizes a minimum value of each of the first and second minimum delay time and maximum delay time of timing slacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naohito Kojima, Fumihiro Minami, Masami Murakata, Takashi Ishioka
  • Patent number: 7061530
    Abstract: Even when variation in transistor characteristic, resistance or the like occurs during manufacturing, a noise component is always minimized. Each of k clock phase difference generating circuits 16–18 shifts a phase of a basic clock signal ADCK1 by a specified different value to obtain a clock signal ADCK2 and supplies the clock signal ADCK2 to an A/D converter. A k counter 19 successively selects the clock phase difference generating circuits 16–18 and stores a noise component in an output of the A/D converter measured by a noise measuring circuit 27 in a corresponding register. A comparator 25 compares k noise components and obtains the number j of the clock phase difference generating circuit giving a minimum value. A selection circuit 26 fixedly selects only the j-th clock phase difference generating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiji Koyama
  • Patent number: 7042250
    Abstract: A synchronizer circuit which synchronizes an input clock signal to a sampling clock to generate a synchronized signal. In an embodiment, an adaptive module detects the occurrence of a positive edge in an input clock signal after a logic low corresponding to a prior negative edge is propagated to as a synchronized signal, and provides a logic high as an input to a sampling module. The sampling module propagates the signal led at the input as the synchronized signal. The adaptive module causing the input to remain at logic high at least until the synchronization module provides logic level as the synchronized signal. The negative edges in the input signal may also be processed similarly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Pranab Ghosh, Amitabha Banerjee, Sanchayan Sinha
  • Patent number: 7019560
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling a piezoelectric transducer includes an N-channel FET having a gate electrode, a drain electrode coupled to a high voltage signal source Vpp, wherein Vpp is a positive going pulse train, and a source electrode coupled to an output Vcntrl for controlling the transducer and a charging circuit, responsive to a low voltage input signal Vpp_sel, for charging the FET gate to a bias voltage greater than the FET's threshold voltage while Vpp is near zero volts and for maintaining the bias voltage on the FET gate while Vpp ramps up to a value greater than the bias voltage and until Vpp_sel is removed. The control circuit reduces switching time and reduces current spikes in the power supplies to the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Guenther W. Wimmer, David L. Knierim
  • Patent number: 7005893
    Abstract: High performance clock-powered logic runs at below supply levels and reduces the need for faster digital logic circuitry. In a preferred embodiment, a clocked buffer (101) is used to drive the signal line. The receiving end of the line is connected to a jam latch (123), preferably followed by an n-latch (125), followed by the digital logic (109), and followed by a second n-latch (127). The first n-latch is eliminated in an alternative embodiment, preferably one that uses complementary data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: William C. Athas, Nestor Tzartzanis, Weihua Mao, Lena Peterson
  • Patent number: 6980033
    Abstract: Structures and methods for pseudo-CMOS dynamic logic with delayed clocks are provided. A pseudo-CMOS dynamic logic circuit with delayed clocks includes a dynamic pseudo-nMOS logic gate and a dynamic pseudo-pMOS logic gate coupled thereto. The dynamic pseudo-nMOS logic gate includes a delayed enable clock transistor coupled to a source region of at least two input transistors. The dynamic pseudo-pMOS logic gate includes a delayed enable clock transistor coupled to a drain of at least two input transistors. None of the logic input devices are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 6981167
    Abstract: A parallel processor with a built-in sub-phase clocking scheme is provided to execute sequentially executed programmable logic controller (PLC) programs in a parallel method. A translator program will translate the PLC logic design from a coding language into Electronic Design Interchange Format and that will be eventually converted to a hardware or software embodiment of the logic. The processor provides a plurality of sub-phase clock periods. The translator assigns to the same sub-phase period program elements that process their tasks in the same range of time. The elements are grouped into sub-phase so that logic elements are performed lock-step to ensure that downstream element are performed at a time when they have valid values at their inputs. The processor consequently avoids race conditions in the system and allows the parallel execution speedup of programs written for a sequential machine such as a PLC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Johnson, Michael Hales, Ronald Harris
  • Patent number: 6967502
    Abstract: In a dynamic circuit, when only between a precharge node and an intermediate node through a plurality of logical-operating MOS transistors is conducted, the potential of the precharge node approximately drops to High*{C1/(C1+C2)} from High, where C1represents the capacitance of the precharge node and C2 represents the capacitance of the intermediate node. Thereafter, with the charge from a power supply, the precharge node returns to High. At this charge sharing time, the amount of charge supply from the power supply is adjusted to suppress voltage drop of the precharge node, thereby reducing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Yano
  • Patent number: 6943586
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling an associated circuit. A clock waveform that transitions between normally high and low levels over a cycle in a first operating mode is provided to the associated circuit. The clock waveform is modified to include an intermediate level between the normally high and low levels over a cycle in a second operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Samuel D. Naffziger
  • Patent number: 6933757
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a timing circuit (300) can include a first control circuit (302), a first clocked circuit (304), a second clocked circuit (306), and a second control circuit (314). A first control circuit (302) may compensate for a first timing signal FCLK making a transition earlier in time than a second timing signal RCLK. A second control circuit (314) may compensate for a second timing signal RCLK making a transition earlier in time than a first timing signal FCLK. A first timing signal FCLK can be a periodic signal generated by a first PLL type circuit (310) in response to a falling edge of an external clock signal EXT CLK. A second timing signal RCLK can be a periodic signal generated by a second PLL type circuit (312) in response to a rising edge of an external clock signal EXT CLK.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Stefan P. Sywyk
  • Patent number: 6911846
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for an integrated circuit (IC) that uses 1 of N signals to reduce the circuit's wire to wire effective capacitance. The present invention comprises a logic tree circuit coupled to a first 1 of N input signal, a second 1 of N input signal, and a 1 of N output signal where the 1 of N signals' reduce the signal's wire to wire effective capacitance. Other embodiments of the present invention include the use of a 1 of 2 signal, a 1 of 3 signal, a 1 of 4 signal, and a 1 of 8 signal where one and one of the wires of the signal is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Intrinsity, Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Blomgren, Terence M. Potter, Stephen C. Horne, Michael R. Seningen, Anthony M. Petro
  • Patent number: 6906556
    Abstract: A high-speed domino logic with improved cascode keeper circuit uses an inverter delay element and an additional transistor to introduce a transition delay time and node isolation time to avoid the contest or “fight” between a first node and the keeper transistor in the event of a path to ground being created through the logic block portion of high-speed domino logic with improved cascode keeper circuit. The high-speed domino logic with improved cascode keeper circuits of the invention, in contrast to prior art domino logic circuits, can be designed to have high noise immunity and increased speed. In addition, since according to the invention, only a minimum of one new inverter and one new are required, the modification of the invention is space efficient and readily incorporated into existing designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Swee Yew Choe
  • Patent number: 6901528
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a counter circuit, a first register circuit, a second register circuit and an output circuit. The counter circuit may be configured to generate a count signal in response to a data input signal and a first clock signal operating in a first clock domain. The first register circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal in response to the count signal. The second register circuit may be configured to generate a second control signal in response to the data input signal. The output circuit may be configured to generate a data output signal operating in a second clock domain in response to the first control signal, the second control signal, the count signal, and a second clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Kasturiranga Rangam
  • Patent number: 6901543
    Abstract: A logic built-in self-test controller is disclosed. The invention, in its various aspects and embodiments, is a built-in self-test controller capable of performing a logic built-in self-test at a test frequency at least as slow as a slowest frequency of a plurality of timing domains to undergo the logic built-in self-test. A method for performing a built-in self-test on an integrated circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael C. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 6867619
    Abstract: A shift register includes at least one stage circuit that has at least three voltage control switches, a storage element, and a first clock signal, a second clock signal and a third clock signal to control various switches. Input signals are stored in the capacitor and sequentially transferred to the next stage. During transferring to the next stage, pixel switches of one row on the panel display are activated to receive information delivered from the data end for displaying on the pixels. The clock signals have the characteristics that the first clock signal, second clock signal and third clock signal are not at the same certain potential concurrently to prevent the switches of each stage (the second and third switches) from forming a DC path and burning out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Wintek Corporation
    Inventors: Rui-Guo Hong, Chih-Chung Chien, Yen-Hua Chen, Shin-Tai Lo
  • Patent number: 6859070
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a plurality of flip-flops, each of which has an external input terminal and external output terminal, the flip-flops being cascade-connected by having data output terminals respectively connected to data input terminals of the next-stage flip-flops. A reset signal is input via the external input terminal of the first-stage flip-flop and is sequentially transferred from the external output terminal thereof to the next-stage flip-flops. The reset signal is transferred via a transmission path different from the original data transmission path to reset all of the flip-flops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Yukihiro Urakawa
  • Patent number: 6850092
    Abstract: A FIFO design interfaces a sender subsystem and a receiver subsystem operating on different time domains. The sender subsystem and the receiver subsystem may be synchronous or asynchronous. The FIFO circuit includes a put interface configured to operate in accordance with the sender time domain and get interface configured to operate in accordance with the receiver time domain. The FIFO circuit includes an array of cells having a register and state controller indicative of the state of the cell. Each cell also has a put component part configured to operate according to the sender time domain including a put token passing circuit and put controller circuit. Each cell has get component part configured to operate according to the receiver time domain including a get token passing circuit and a get controller circuit. A mixed-clock relay station design interfaces a sender subsystem and a receiver subsystem working at different time domains, and where the latency between sender and receiver is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University
    Inventors: Tiberiu Chelcea, Steven M. Nowick
  • Patent number: 6838911
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating logical inputs electronically using electronic logic circuits in monotonic dynamic-static pseudo-NMOS configurations. The apparatus includes alternating dynamic and static circuit portions adapted to transition monotonically in response to a common clock (or complemented clock) signal. The circuit portions include pseudo-NMOS configured switching circuits implementing logical functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 6798248
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, non-overlapping clocks are to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Hazucha, Tanay Karnik
  • Publication number: 20040178825
    Abstract: According to one form of the invention, an apparatus includes first timing circuitry, at least one stage of logic circuitry and second timing circuitry. The first timing circuitry has a first data input and a latch with a latch data input coupled to the first data input and a latch data output coupled to an input of the least one stage of logic circuitry. The second timing circuitry has a latch and an edge detector with respective latch and edge detector data inputs coupled to a data output of the at least one stage of logic circuitry. The edge detector has an output coupled to a control input of the second timing circuitry latch for triggering capture of an output data signal on the data output of the at least one stage of logic circuitry responsive to detecting a signal transition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Amatangelo, Taqi Nasser Buti, Christopher M. Durham, Peter Juergen Klim
  • Patent number: 6791360
    Abstract: A source synchronous interface determines an amount of delay for an incoming data signal and a phase offset for a latch device that latches the incoming data signal. A delay locked loop may be a dual loop delay locked loop, in which case, the loops may use a low jitter, local clock signal and an input clock signal that was transmitted with the data signal. The low jitter, local clock signal may provide a stable source from which to derive good clock signal edge transitions. The input clock signal may be used to determine the long term clock signal drift. A finite state machine within the dual loop delay locked loop may provide the necessary information for the amount of delay and the phase offset. The delay of the incoming data signal is produced by a digital delay line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Claude R. Gauthier, Brian W. Amick, Aninda Roy
  • Patent number: 6791363
    Abstract: According to one form of the invention, an apparatus includes first timing circuitry, at least one stage of logic circuitry and second timing circuitry. The first timing circuitry has a first data input and a latch with a latch data input coupled to the first data input and a latch data output coupled to an input of the least one stage of logic circuitry. The second timing circuitry has a latch and an edge detector with respective latch and edge detector data inputs coupled to a data output of the at least one stage of logic circuitry. The edge detector has an output coupled to a control input of the second timing circuitry latch for triggering capture of an output data signal on the data output of the at least one stage of logic circuitry responsive to detecting a signal transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Amatangelo, Taqi Nasser Buti, Christopher M. Durham, Peter Juergen Klim
  • Publication number: 20040174189
    Abstract: A circuit is provided which is constituted by TFTs of one conductivity type, and which is capable of outputting signals of a normal amplitude. When an input clock signal CK1 becomes a high level, each of TFTs (101, 103) is turned on to settle at a low level the potential at a signal output section (Out). A pulse is then input to a signal input section (In) and becomes high level. The gate potential of TFT (102) is increased to (VDD−V thN) and the gate is floated. TFT (102) is thus turned on. Then CK1 becomes low level and each of TFTs (101, 103) is turned off. Simultaneously, CK3 becomes high level and the potential at the signal output section is increased. Simultaneously, the potential at the gate of TFT (102) is increased to a level equal to or higher than (VDD+V thN) by the function of capacitor (104), so that the high level appearing at the signal output section (Out) becomes equal to VDD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. Ltd., a Japan corporation
    Inventors: Shou Nagao, Munehiro Azami, Yoshifumi Tanada
  • Publication number: 20040119502
    Abstract: A scannable storage circuit is provided that has a separate a scan output buffer for driving the scan output. The scan output buffer is coupled to the storage element in a parallel manner with the data output buffer so that normal data propagation is not delayed. The scan output buffer is gated by a scan enable input so that the scan output is quiescent when the storage circuit is not in scan mode. The selectively enabled scan output buffer is embodied with only four transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: G. Subash Chandar, Jais Abraham
  • Patent number: 6750677
    Abstract: A dynamic semiconductor integrated circuit is provided, in which an operation speed is increased, an operation is stabilized, and low power consumption is realized in a system where a NAND dynamic circuit is connected to a NOR dynamic circuit. A compensating circuit is provided, which compensates for a voltage drop at an output node of the NOR dynamic circuit due to a coupling capacitance formed between the output node of the NOR dynamic circuit and an output node of the NAND dynamic circuit, caused when the output node of the NAND dynamic circuit is discharged while the output node of the NOR dynamic circuit holds a charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya Sumita
  • Patent number: 6744285
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for aligning the phases of clocks of different clock domains of an IC to enable data to be transferred synchronously across the clock domains. The present invention comprises a phase-alignment system that is adjustable via a user interface to enable the clock phases to be adjusted. A user controls the degree of alignment of the phases via the user interface. The present invention enables the phases of clocks of different clock domains to be adjusted even after the IC has been fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne G. Mangum, Brian C. Miller, Peter J. Meier, Cory Groth
  • Patent number: 6737889
    Abstract: Clocked full-rail differential logic circuits are provided with shut-off devices. The addition of the shut-off device provides a full-rail differential logic circuit with shut-off that does not experience the large pre-charge high or “dip” experienced by prior art full-rail differential logic circuits and is therefore more power efficient. In addition, the present invention provides a full-rail differential logic circuit with shut-off that is more resistant to noise than prior art full-rail differential logic circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Swee Yew Choe, Edgardo F. Klass
  • Patent number: 6703867
    Abstract: Clocked full-rail differential logic circuits with sense amplifier and shut-off are activated by a delayed clock and include a sense amplifier circuit that is triggered by a second delayed clock and a shut-off device. The addition of the sense amplifier circuit, and second delayed clock signal allows the sense amplifier circuit to act as the driver and therefore there is no need for increasing the size of the differential logic network to provide a driver function. The addition of the shut-off device provides a full-rail differential logic circuit with shut-off that does not experience the large “dip” experienced by prior art full-rail differential logic circuits and is therefore more power efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Swee Yew Choe, Edgardo F. Klass
  • Patent number: 6693476
    Abstract: A differential latch includes a sample transistor section, a hold transistor section, a 1st gating circuit and a 2nd gating circuit. The sample transistor section is operably coupled to sample, when coupled to a supply voltage (e.g., VDD and VSS) a differential input signal. The hold transistor section is operably coupled to latch, when coupled to the supply voltage, the sampled differential input to produce a latched differential signal. The 1st gating circuit is operable to couple the sampled transistor section to the supply voltage in accordance with a 1st clocking logic operation and a 2nd clocking logic operation. The 2nd gating circuit is operable to couple the hold transistor section to the supply voltage in accordance with a 3rd clocking logic operation and a 4th clocking logic operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Broadcom, Corp.
    Inventor: Tsung-Hsien Lin
  • Publication number: 20040027164
    Abstract: Clocked half-rail differential logic circuits are activated by a delayed clock and include a sense amplifier circuit that is triggered by a second delayed clock. The addition of the sense amplifier circuit, and second delayed clock signal, allows the sense amplifier circuit to act as the driver and therefore there is no need for increasing the size of the differential logic block to provide a driver function. Consequently, the clocked half-rail differential logic circuits of the invention are capable of operating efficiently under heavy load conditions without the increased size and the significant reduction in speed associated with prior art half-rail differential logic circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems Inc.
    Inventor: Swee Yew Choe
  • Publication number: 20040008056
    Abstract: A domino logic circuit is configured to reduce power consumption. In a first embodiment, a sleep switch grounds the dynamic node during sleep mode. In a second embodiment, a low-swing circuit at the output reduces the output and keeper transistor gate voltage swings. A third embodiment combines those two techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Volkan Kursun, Eby G. Friedman
  • Patent number: 6677783
    Abstract: A high-speed, state-preserving, race-reducing, wide-pulsed clock domino design style. For one aspect, a pipestage in accordance with the wide-pulsed clock design style includes one or more domino logic stages and a wide-pulsed clock generator to provide a wide-pulsed clock signal to control evaluation of the one or more domino logic stages in response to receiving a two-phase input clock signal. The wide-pulsed clock signal has a pulse width that tracks a phase width of the input clock signal over a first frequency range where the first frequency range extends at least from a predetermined fraction of a nominal clock frequency to an upper frequency limit for the circuit. For one aspect, ratio logic is coupled to at least one of the domino stages. The wide-pulsed clock signal provides sufficient time for the one or more domino logic stages to evaluate while preventing infinite or very long contention in one or more ratio logic stages when the input clock signal is stopped or slowed down significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Samie B. Samaan
  • Patent number: 6653867
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for providing a smooth transition between a first clock signal at a first frequency and a second clock signal at a lower second frequency. A pulse is generated that indicates whether the logic levels of the first and the second clock signals are similar or are different. The rising/falling edges of the pulse are synchronized with the rising/falling edges of the first clock signal. When a change in a logic level of a command signal for switching between the clock signals is detected, a first time period is identified in which the logic levels of the first and the second clock signals are different. The transition between the first clock signal and the second clock signal is allowed immediately after the first time period has ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Elias Shihadeh
  • Patent number: 6646473
    Abstract: A dynamic circuit capable of operating in a normal power consumption mode and at least one reduced power consumption mode is provided. The dynamic circuit is operatively connected to a normal supply voltage and a reduced supply voltage, and is capable of operating at either the normal supply voltage and a normal frequency or at the reduced supply voltage and a reduced frequency. By using such a dynamic circuit, power consumption may be selectively controlled in order to reduce unnecessary power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Pradeep Trivedi, Sudhakar Bobba
  • Patent number: 6621304
    Abstract: A clocking and synchronization circuitry is disclosed. A plurality of windows is provided to accommodate jitters in a clock with respect to a reference clock. A plurality of delayed state cycles is generated from the clock signal for clocking internal operations within the clocked integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Raj Kumar Jain
  • Patent number: 6614265
    Abstract: The invention describes a high-performance static logic compatible multiport latch. The latch is controlled by at least a first and a second clock (CLK 1, CLK 2), which consist of at least first and second data input ports (107, 111) with together at least three data inputs (DATA 1.1, . . . , DATA 1.n, DATA 2.1, . . . , DATA 2.n) and at least one data output (OUT). The first clock (CLK 1) controls whether data (DATA1.1, . . . , DATA 1.n) applied to the first data input ports (107) is stored in or clocked through the latch (100), the second clock (CLK 2) controls whether data (DATA 2.1, . . . , DATA 2.n) applied to the second data input ports (111) is stored in or clocked through the latch, and either the first clock (CLK 1) or the second clock (CLK 2) clocks data into the latch at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Buettner, Guenter Mayer, Juergen Pille, Dieter Wendel
  • Patent number: 6597223
    Abstract: A dual rail flip flop with complementary outputs includes a master stage with embedded logic, a sensing stage, and one or more slave stages. The flip flop operates in a pre-charge state and an evaluate state. During the pre-charge state when a clock signal is low, the flip flop pre-charges internal keeper nodes to a high value. When the clock signal transitions high, the flip flop enters an evaluation state and one of the internal keeper nodes evaluates to a low value. The sense stage senses which of the internal keeper nodes is evaluating to zero, and drives it to zero faster. The slave stages reflect the state of the internal keeper nodes during the evaluate state, and maintain their states during the pre-charge state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sriram R. Vangal, Dinesh Somasekhar
  • Patent number: 6590425
    Abstract: There is disclosed a circuit apparatus which is highly tolerant to noises and operates at a higher speed than a conventional completely complementary static CMOS circuit. To achieve this, the circuit apparatus features a plurality of CMOS static logic circuits which are series-connected and potential setting circuitry which is connected to the output parts of these logic circuits and sets the outputs of the output parts to a low level in synchronization with a clock signal, thus propagating signals by operation of the NMOS circuit. In other words, a signal propagation delay occurs only when the N-type logic block conducts. Therefore, circuit operation is speeded up and &agr; particle noise and noises due to charge redistribution effect or leakage current can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Murabayashi, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Takashi Hotta, Hiromichi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20030122582
    Abstract: A high-speed, state-preserving, race-reducing, wide-pulsed clock domino design style. For one aspect, a pipestage in accordance with the wide-pulsed clock design style includes one or more domino logic stages and a wide-pulsed clock generator to provide a wide-pulsed clock signal to control evaluation of the one or more domino logic stages in response to receiving a two-phase input clock signal. The wide-pulsed clock signal has a pulse width that tracks a phase width of the input clock signal over a first frequency range where the first frequency range extends at least from a predetermined fraction of a nominal clock frequency to an upper frequency limit for the circuit. For one aspect, ratio logic is coupled to at least one of the domino stages. The wide-pulsed clock signal provides sufficient time for the one or more domino logic stages to evaluate while preventing infinite or very long contention in one or more ratio logic stages when the input clock signal is stopped or slowed down significantly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventor: Samie B. Samaan
  • Publication number: 20030117177
    Abstract: Clocked charge recycling differential logic circuits are activated by a delayed clock. According to the invention, when clocked charge recycling differential logic circuits of the invention are cascaded together, a delayed clock is provided for each clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit and each delayed clock is timed to at least the delay of the previous clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit. Consequently, according to the invention, a delay time is introduced to ensure each clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit of the invention is switched or “fired” only after it has received an input from the previous clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit stage. According to the invention, this is achieved without the use of complicated control circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Swee Yew Choe
  • Publication number: 20030117178
    Abstract: Clocked charge recycling differential logic circuits are activated by a delayed clock. According to the invention, when clocked charge recycling differential logic circuits of the invention are cascaded together, a delayed clock is provided for each clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit and each delayed clock is timed to at least the delay of the previous clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit. Consequently, according to the invention, a delay time is introduced to ensure each clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit of the invention is switched or “fired” only after it has received an input from the previous clocked charge recycling differential logic circuit stage. According to the invention, this is achieved without the use of complicated control circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Swee Yew Choe
  • Patent number: 6573756
    Abstract: A noise canceling circuit is provided in a dynamic circuit that includes a high fan-in domino gate. The noise canceling circuit decouples noise from neighboring wires in the dynamic circuit that is injected into a wire that controls the domino gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sanu K. Mathew, Mark Anders, Ram Krishnamurthy