摘要:
An integrated circuit (10) comprises a plurality of functional blocks (101, 102, 103), each of the functional blocks (101, 102, 103) being coupled between a first power supply line (110) and a second power supply line (120). A first functional block (101) is coupled to the first power supply line (110) via a first conductive path including a first switch (131) and a second functional block (102) is coupled to the first power supply line (110) via a second conductive path including a second switch (132), the first switch (131) and the second switch (132) being arranged to respectively disconnect the first functional block (101) and the second functional block (102) from the first power supply line (110) for switching said functional blocks (101, 102) from an active mode to a standby mode. The IC (10) comprises a further switch (141) having a first terminal coupled to a node (121) of the first conductive path between the first switch (131) and the first functional block (101) and a second terminal coupled to a node (122) of the second conductive path between the second switch (132) and the second functional block (102). The further switch (141) has a control terminal responsive to an enable signal indicating that the first switch (131) and the second switch (132) are disabled, thus allowing the recycling of charge between the first functional block (101) and the second functional block (102).
摘要:
A charge pump circuit comprises a first node, a second node, and at least one capacitance stage coupled between the first node and the second node. Capacitance stages of the at least one capacitance stage are coupled in series. A capacitance stage of the at least one capacitance stage includes a capacitive device and a voltage limiter coupled in parallel with the capacitor. The voltage limiter is configured to limit a voltage dropped across the capacitor. The capacitive device and the voltage limiter are configured such that a first current flowing through a first branch having the voltage limiter is more than a second current flowing through a second branch having the capacitive device.
摘要:
A clamper circuit for receiving an input signal from a victim wire, the clamper circuit being capable of receiving aggressor signals from aggressor wires, the aggressor wires being the signal wires that can potentially induce crosstalk on the victim wire and an output signal being selectively enabled based on the logic states of the input signal and the aggressor signals, the clamper circuit also being capable of accelerating the switching of the victim wire when an opposite transition occurs on the aggressors and victim wire at the same time, so as to thereby reduce worst case delay and improve the signal integrity.
摘要:
An integrated circuit (300) has a regular grid formed by substantially identical building blocks (100a-i). To avoid possible routing conflicts around the edges of the integrated circuit (300), which can be introduced by the use of a single type of an asymmetric building block, the integrated circuit (300) is extended with routing cells (200) that provide routing at the edges of the grid that are uncovered by the routing networks of the building blocks (100a-i). The routing cells (200) and the switch cell (250) are combined with a first routing structure (330) and a second routing structure (340) to form a routing network (280) surrounding the grid of the integrated circuit (300). Consequently, an integrated circuit (300) is presented that comprises only a single type of building block (100a-i) but still has a fully symmetric routing architecture.
摘要:
A circuit comprises a set of pre-charge and equalization devices, a control signal line, and a word line. The set of pre-charge and equalization devices is configured to pre-charge and equalize a pair of data lines. The control signal line is configured to control the pre-charge and equalization devices. The word line is configured to electrically couple a memory cell to a data line of the pair of data lines. A first voltage value provided to the control signal line is from a first voltage source different from a second voltage source that generates a second voltage value for the word line.
摘要:
A flash analog-to-digital converter comprises a resistive string powered by a reference voltage source for providing a set of equidistant reference voltages and a set of comparators for comparing the analog input signal with the reference voltages. A set of switches are arranged and controlled to perform an algorithm for mitigating the influence of mismatches between the components. The switches are arranged between the reference voltage source and the resistive string so that switches in the reference inputs to the comparators are avoided. The resistive string is preferably circular. The converter can handle differential signals.
摘要:
As technology scales, on-chip interconnects are becoming narrower, and the height of such interconnects is not scaling linearly with the width. This leads to an increase of coupling capacitance with neighboring wires, leading to higher crosstalk. It also leads to poor performance due to poor RC response at the receiving of the wire, which may even result in failure in very noisy environments. An adaptive threshold scheme is proposed in which receiver switching thresholds are adjusted according to the detected noise in bus lines. These noise levels are dependent on both the front-end processing (transistor performance) as well as on the backend processing (metal resistance, capacitance, width and spacing). The circuit therefore automatically compensates for process variations.
摘要:
A memory macro comprises a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of first amplifying circuits, a first driver circuit, and a first level shifter. The plurality of memory cells is arranged in groups of a first direction and groups of a second direction. Each amplifying circuit is coupled to a plurality of first memory cells arranged in a first group of the first direction via a first data line. The first driver circuit is configured to drive the plurality of first amplifying circuits. The first level shifter is configured to level shift an input signal operating in a first power domain to an output signal operating in a second power domain. The output signal of the first level shifter is for use by the first driver circuit. The first driver circuit and a sense amplifier of an amplifying circuit operate in the second power domain.
摘要:
Some embodiments regard a circuit comprising a memory cell, a first data line, a second data line, a sensing circuit coupled to the first data line and the second data line, a node selectively coupled to at least three voltage sources via at least three respective switches, a fourth switch, and a fifth switch. A first voltage source is configured to supply a retention voltage to the node via a first switch. A second voltage source is configured to supply a ground reference voltage to the node via a second switch, and a third voltage source is configured to supply a reference voltage to the node via a third switch. The fourth switch and fifth switch are configured to receive a respective first control signal and second control signal and to pass a voltage at the node to the respective first data line and second data line.
摘要:
Embodiments of the invention are related to sense amplifiers. In an embodiment involving a sense amplifier used with a memory cell, signals BL, ZBL, SN and SP are pre-charged and equalized to a voltage reference, e.g., Vref, using an equalizing signal. A compensation signal, e.g., SAC, is applied to compensate for the mismatch between transistors in the sense amplifier. The word line WL is activated to connect the memory cell to a bit line, e.g., bit line ZBL. Because the memory cell shares the charge with the connected bit line ZBL, it causes a differential signal to be developed between bit lines BL and ZBL. When enough split between bit lines BL and ZBL is developed, signals SP and SAE are raised to VDD (while signal SN has been lowered to VSS) to turn on the sense amplifier and allow it to function as desire. Other embodiments and exemplary applications are also disclosed.