摘要:
A method and a flip-flop is disclosed in which power consumption is reduced in a standby mode. In a first aspect, the flip-flop comprises a first latch adapted to be coupled to a first power supply and a second latch coupled to the first latch and adapted to be coupled to a second power supply. The first and second power supplies are independently controllable to minimize power consumption in a standby mode. In a second aspect, a method for minimizing the power consumption of a flip-flop is also disclosed. The flip-flop includes a first latch and a second latch coupled thereto. The method comprises providing a first independently controllable power supply coupled to the master latch; and providing a second independently controllable power supply coupled to the slave latch. The method further includes reducing the voltage of at least one of the first and second power supplies responsive to the detection of a power saving mode.
摘要:
Embodiments that design integrated circuits using a 1×N compiler in a closed-loop 1×N methodology are disclosed. Some embodiments create a physical design representation based on a behavioral representation of a design for an integrated circuit. The behavioral representation may comprise RTL HDL with one or more 1×N building blocks. The embodiments may alter elements of the 1×N building block by using logic design tools, synthesis tools, physical design tools, and timing analysis tools. Further embodiments comprise an apparatus having a first generator to generate a behavioral representation of a design for an integrated circuit, a second generator to generate a logical representation of the design, and a third generator to generate a physical design representation of the design, wherein the representation generators may create updated versions of the representations which reflect alterations made to 1×N building block elements.
摘要:
Embodiments that design integrated circuits using a 1×N compiler in a closed-loop 1×N methodology are disclosed. Some embodiments create a physical design representation based on a behavioral representation of a design for an integrated circuit. The behavioral representation may comprise RTL HDL with one or more 1×N building blocks. The embodiments may alter elements of the 1×N building block by using logic design tools, synthesis tools, physical design tools, and timing analysis tools. Further embodiments comprise an apparatus having a first generator to generate a behavioral representation of a design for an integrated circuit, a second generator to generate a logical representation of the design, and a third generator to generate a physical design representation of the design, wherein the representation generators may create updated versions of the representations which reflect alterations made to 1×N building block elements.
摘要:
Embodiments comprise an adjusted polysilicon gate pitch to metal wire pitch relationship to improve area scalars while increasing ACLV tolerance with a fixed polysilicon gate pitch. In some embodiments, the wire pitch for at least one metallization layer is adjusted to match the pitch for the polysilicon gate. In one embodiment, the next to the lowest metallization layer running in the same orientation as the polysilicon gate, utilized to access the input or output of the interconnected cell structures is relaxed to match the minimum contacted gate pitch and the metal is aligned above each polysilicon gate. In another embodiment, the polysilicon gate pitch may be relaxed to attain a smaller lowest common multiple with the wire pitch for an integrated circuit to reduce the minimum step off.
摘要:
Methods, systems, and media to improve the manufacturability of cells and structures within cells of an integrated circuit are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of arranging programmable cells, routing the programmable cells, analyzing the cell arrangement and interconnect wiring for manufacturing improvement opportunities, and modifying the programmable cell structures to incorporate the manufacturing improvements. In some embodiments, wires are spread to prevent shorting. In other embodiments, the reliability of contacts and vias is improved by adding additional metallization to the areas surrounding the contacts and vias, or by adding redundant contacts and vias. In one embodiment, a series of manufacturing improvements are made to integrated circuit cells in an iterative fashion.
摘要:
Using gate arrays to create capacitive structures within an integrated circuit are disclosed. Embodiments comprise having a gate array of P-type field effect transistors (P-fets) and N-type field effect transistors (N-fets) in an integrated circuit design, coupling drains and sources for one or more P-fets and gates for one or more N-fets to a power supply ground, and coupling gates for the one or more P-fets and the drains and sources for one or more N-fets to a positive voltage of the power supply. In some embodiments, source-to-drain leakage current for capacitive apparatuses of P-fets and N-fets are minimized by biasing one or more P-fets and one or more N-fets to the positive voltage and the ground, respectively. In other embodiments, the capacitive structures may be implemented using fusible elements to isolate the capacitive structures in case of shorts.
摘要:
A level translator circuit for use between a transmitting voltage potential circuit and a receiving voltage potential circuit is disclosed. The translator circuit includes a first transistor coupled to the transmitting voltage potential circuit and a clamping mechanism coupled to the first transistor. The circuit also includes a second transistor coupled to the first transistor, a higher voltage potential and the receiving voltage potential circuit. The circuit includes a third transistor coupled to the receiving voltage potential circuit, the higher voltage potential and the second transistor. Finally, the circuit includes a fourth transistor coupled to the receiving voltage potential circuit, and to a ground potential. The clamping mechanism clamps the input of the translator circuit such than an appropriate logic level is provided to the receiving voltage potential circuit and the leakage current is minimized when the transmitting voltage potential circuit is disabled. Accordingly, a level translator circuit is provided that operates effectively even when the transmitting voltage potential circuit is disabled. In addition, leakage current is minimized for the two distinct power supplies by clamping the input of the circuit such that an appropriate logical level is provided at the output of the circuit.
摘要:
A precise and programmable duty cycle generator which can produce a user definable duty cycle clock signal with precision. This circuit is comprised of a number of generally known circuit elements such as a digital to analog converter (DAC), low pass filter (LPF) and operational transconductance amplifier (OTA), as well as a unique voltage controlled duty cycle generator (VCDCG). The circuit has the ability to produce a user programmable duty cycle clock signal with precision over a broad range of operational frequencies. The VCDCG circuit is unique and employs a number of stages, each of which has a current starved inverter which is immediately followed by a conventional inverter to allow duty cycle corrections to be either additive or subtractive. The current starved inverters are controlled by a single voltage, which causes the current starved inverter's delay to degrade/improve on only one transition to effect a change in the duty cycle. For improved precision, a differential embodiment employs the same VCDCG.
摘要:
The present invention provides a method and system for bypassing defective sections with a memory array of a computer chip. The circuit in accordance with the present invention includes a register for controlling the effective size of the memory array based upon the detection of at least one defective section in the memory array, and a multiplexer for receiving an index address for the memory array and for the mapping of the index address based upon the register means. The circuit in accordance with the present invention does not use fuses to conduct repairs and thus does not require additional area on the chip for such fuses. As such, it eliminates the complications in the manufacturing process related to fuses and redundant cells. The circuit in accordance with the present invention dynamically manipulates the address of the array to bypass the defective regions of the array. Although the present invention results in a reduction in the overall size of the array, and thus may result in performance degradation, it allows for the continued operation of the chip. For an embedded memory, the chip need not be discarded. Importantly, unlike the conventional method, the circuit in accordance with the present invention has the ability to handle defects which are introduced during usage, and defect detection and bypass are initiated each time the computer is initialized. Thus, the circuit in accordance with the present invention has utility subsequent to manufacturing testing. A chip with embedded memory which has the steering circuit of the present invention is thus more reliable than memory chips repaired with conventional methods.
摘要:
A small and efficient control circuit for a compensated CMOS off-chip driver and a driver circuit incorporating the control circuit. The control circuit uses an exclusive OR gate as a phase detector to determine the phase difference between a system clock and a delayed version of the system clock. An RC filter smooths the output of the exclusive OR gate to produce a voltage proportional to the delay introduced in the CMOS circuitry by environmental and process variables. The voltage from the RC filter is used as a control voltage to control the effective channel width of the effective pull-down device of the off-chip driver circuit. An off-chip driver using the control circuit is used in the I/O unit of a CMOS integrated circuit chip.