Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090033400 | VOLTAGE TOLERANT FLOATING N-WELL CIRCUIT - Methods and apparatuses are presented for voltage tolerant floating N-well circuits. An apparatus for mitigating leakage currents caused by input voltages is presented which includes a first transistor having a source coupled to a positive voltage supply, and a drain coupled to a floating node. The apparatus may further include a controllable pull-down path coupled to a negative voltage supply and the first transistor, wherein the controllable pull-down path is configured to turn on the first transistor and pull-up the floating node during a first state. The apparatus may further include a second transistor having a source coupled to a gate of the first transistor, and drain coupled to the floating node, wherein the second transistor is configured to place the floating node at a floating potential during a second state. | 02-05-2009 |
20100026348 | HIGH SIGNAL LEVEL COMPLIANT INPUT/OUTPUT CIRCUITS - A signal driver for an interface circuit has a first stage level shifter to accept input signals and output signals at a first signal level. The signal driver also has a second stage level shifter coupled to the first stage level shifter to output signals at a second signal level. Electronic components of the first and second stage level shifter have reliability limits less than the second signal level. The first and second stage configurations of the first stage level shifter and the second stage level shifter prevents exposing the electronic components to terminal to terminal signal levels higher than the reliability limits when processing signals for output at the second signal level. | 02-04-2010 |
20100026362 | HIGH SIGNAL LEVEL COMPLIANT INPUT/OUTPUT CIRCUITS - A level detector has an input circuit adapted to accept signals of multiple signal levels for detecting a specific level. The signal levels include a first signal level and a larger second signal level. Electronic components of the input circuit have reliability levels less than the second signal level. A latch circuit is coupled to the input circuit for latching a signal consistent with a detected level of an accepted signal. | 02-04-2010 |
20100026363 | HIGH SIGNAL LEVEL COMPLIANT INPUT/OUTPUT CIRCUITS - A level shifter has at least one of either a pull up or a pull down circuit. The circuit is made of electronic components with reliability limits less than a maximum signal level output by the level shifter. The level shifter also has a timing circuit coupled to at least on of either the pull up or pull down circuit. The timing circuit controls a time of application of an input signal to at least one of either the pull up or pull down circuit preventing a terminal to terminal signal level experienced by the electronic components exceeding the reliability limits. | 02-04-2010 |
20100026364 | HIGH SIGNAL LEVEL COMPLIANT INPUT/OUTPUT CIRCUITS - An interface input has an input circuit adapted to receive input signal levels higher than a maximum signal level that a host circuitry's electronic components can reliably handle. The input circuit shifts the level of the input signal to a desired signal level. A keeper circuit is coupled to the input circuit and maintains trigger levels of the shifted signals consistent with the input signal level. | 02-04-2010 |
20100030924 | HIGH SIGNAL LEVEL COMPLIANT INPUT/OUTPUT CIRCUITS - A signal interface circuit has a signal path for communicatively coupling host circuitry to peripheral circuitry of multiple peripherals. Communication signals in the signal path are of a peripheral signal level. The signal path has electronic components adapted for use in communicating signals between the host circuitry and the peripheral circuitry. The electronic components in the signal path have reliability limits less than the peripheral signal level. The configuration of the electronic components in the signal path allow communication of signals at the peripheral signal level. | 02-04-2010 |
20100127736 | LOW VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL SIGNALING DRIVER WITH PROGRAMMABLE ON-CHIP RESISTOR TERMINATION - A low voltage differential signaling driver is disclosed and may include a current steering output circuit having a first driver output and a second driver output. The low voltage differential signaling driver may also include a programmable on-chip resistor. | 05-27-2010 |
20140061642 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING DIE SIGNALS USING EXTERNAL INTERCONNECTS - Various aspects of an approach for routing die signals in an interior portion of a die using external interconnects are described herein. The approach provides for contacts coupled to circuits in the interior portion of the die, where the contacts are exposed to an exterior portion of the die. The external interconnects are configured to couple these contacts so that signals from the circuits in the interior portion of the die may be routed externally to the die. In various aspects of the disclosed approach, the external interconnects are protected by a packaging for the die. | 03-06-2014 |
20140253173 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY TERMINATING SIGNALS ON A BIDIRECTIONAL BUS BASED ON BUS SPEED - A method of controlling signal termination includes providing first logic for selectively terminating signals received at a first device on a bidirectional data bus, providing second logic for selectively terminating signals received at a second device on the bidirectional data bus, sending first signals from the first device to the second device on the bidirectional data bus at a first speed, stopping the sending of the first signals, after stopping the sending of the first signals, enabling the second logic and shifting a reference voltage of the second device from a first level to a second level, after enabling the second logic at the second device, sending second signals from the first device to the second device on the bidirectional data bus at a higher speed, and controlling the first logic based on a speed of signals received at the first device on the bidirectional data bus. | 09-11-2014 |
20140253228 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FLOORPLAN FOR COMPACT CLOCK DISTRIBUTION - An integrated circuit includes core logic and a plurality of interface blocks disposed about a periphery of the core logic. A plurality of input or output (I/O) circuits is assigned to one of the plurality of interface blocks. The I/O circuits include external I/O circuits coupled to a device other than the integrated circuit and internal I/O circuits coupled to the integrated circuit. Each interface block includes a first plurality of I/O circuits disposed on a first side of the interface block and a second plurality of I/O circuits disposed on a second side of the interface block. Each interface block also includes interface logic for the interface block between the first plurality of I/O circuits and the second plurality of I/O circuits, and a logic hub that includes a clock distribution of minimal length that drives launch logic and capture logic to form the I/O circuits of the interface block. | 09-11-2014 |
20140266357 | Measure-Based Delay Circuit - A master measure circuit is disclosed that may select from various nodes on a delay path carrying a signal. The master measure circuit measures the delay for propagation of the signal from one selected node to another selected node and controls an adjustable delay circuit in the delay path accordingly. | 09-18-2014 |
20140367757 | METAL-INSULATOR-METAL CAPACITOR STRUCTURES - Capacitor structures capable of providing both low-voltage capacitors and high-voltage capacitors are described herein. In one embodiment, a capacitor structure comprises a low-voltage capacitor and a high-voltage capacitor. The low-voltage capacitor comprises a first electrode formed from a first metal layer, a second electrode formed from a second metal layer, a third electrode formed from a third metal layer, a first dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes, and a second dielectric layer between the second and third electrodes. The high-voltage capacitor comprises a fourth electrode formed from the first metal layer, a fifth electrode formed from the third metal layer, and a third dielectric layer between the fourth and fifth electrodes, wherein the third dielectric layer is thicker than either the first dielectric layer or the second dielectric layer. | 12-18-2014 |