Movellus Circuits Inc.

Jeffrey Alan Fredenburg

Muhammad Faisal

David Michael Moore

Yuxiang Mu

Ramin Shirani

Xiao Wu

Frederick Christopher Candler

Chun-Ju Chou

Yu Huang

Noman Hai

Scott Howe

Mohammad Faisal

David Moore

Marcus Van Ierssel

Saif Elam

Vikram Karvat

Brian Che Yuen Lam

An integrated circuit (IC) chip includes transmit circuitry including multiple transmitters to launch parallel data in response to a transmit clock signal. The transmit clock signal is based on a reference clock signal. Receiver circuitry includes multiple receivers to receive the parallel data in response to a receive clock signal. The receive clock signal is based on the reference clock signal. Bus circuitry includes multiple data paths arranged in parallel between the transmit circuitry and the receiver circuitry. Each data path is coupled between a given one of the multiple transmitters and a given one of the multiple receivers. A first data path of the multiple data paths includes a delay circuit to dynamically delay first data of the parallel data propagating along the first data path by a first delay that is based on a channel delay exhibited by a second data path of the multiple data paths.

Self-aligning interconnect for a digital system

An integrated circuit (IC) chip including clock generation circuitry to generate a clock signal. Clock interface circuitry is coupled to the clock generation circuitry and includes multiple transmit pins that are distributed across a mounting surface of the IC chip. Each of the multiple transmit pins is configured to transmit a respective version of the clock signal to one or more off-chip devices. Multiple receiver pins are distributed across the mounting surface of the IC chip and correspond to the multiple transmit pins. Each of the multiple receiver pins is configured to receive respective arrival clock signals from the one or more off-chip devices. Delay compensation circuitry is coupled to the clock interface circuitry and includes multiple delay circuits. Each delay circuit is configured to delay a given clock signal fed to a given transmit pin by a given delay value to establish global timing alignment of the arrival clock signals at the one or more external devices.

Field programmable platform array

A semiconductor package includes source clock circuitry to generate a source clock signal. Reference clock circuitry generates a reference clock signal. A first timing circuit includes a first source clock input to receive the source clock signal. First fan-out circuitry distributes the received source clock signal as a first distributed clock signal to a first set of clocked devices. A first delay circuit delays the received source clock signal by a first delay value based on a first phase difference between the first distributed clock signal and the reference clock signal.

Digital system synchronization

A frequency multiplier circuit includes a first multiplier circuit to generate a first digital value representing a received reference signal having a reference frequency and reference phase, the multiplier circuit to multiply the first digital value by a multiplier value. Comparison circuitry compares the first digital value to an output digital value representing an output signal having an output frequency and an output phase, the comparison circuitry to generate an error signal based on the comparison. A programmable loop filter generates a control signal based at least in part on the error signal. A frequency generation circuit produces the output signal having the output frequency and phase. A phase-to-digital converter generates and feeds the output digital value to the phase comparison circuitry. A programmable transition controller controls a transitioning frequency relationship between a first signal frequency of a first locked output signal and a desired second signal frequency.

Frequency multiplier circuit with programmable frequency transition controller

A frequency multiplier system includes a first frequency multiplier circuit to generate a first signal having a first frequency. The first frequency multiplier circuit includes a first post-divider circuit to divide the first frequency of the first signal to a first output frequency within a bounded first range of frequencies, and a first programmable frequency transition controller to control a transitioning frequency relationship between the first signal having the first frequency and a target signal having a desired target frequency. The system includes a second frequency multiplier circuit to generate a second signal having a second frequency. The second frequency multiplier circuit includes a second post-divider circuit configured to divide the second frequency of the second signal to a second output frequency within a bounded second range of frequencies, and a second programmable frequency transition controller to control a transitioning frequency relationship between the second signal having the second frequency and the target signal having the desired target frequency. A multi-transition controller is coupled to both the first frequency multiplier circuit and the second frequency multiplier circuit to, upon a desired change from the first output frequency to the target output frequency, select one of the first output frequency or the second output frequency as a system output frequency.

Frequency multiplier system with multi-transition controller

A frequency counter circuit includes a first counter path to receive a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) clock signal and is configured to generate a first count corresponding to a first frequency of a first reduced clock signal corresponding to the DCO clock signal. A second counting path receives the DCO clock signal and generates a second count corresponding to a second frequency of a second reduced clock signal corresponding to the DCO clock signal. The first reduced clock signal is an integer multiple frequency of the second reduced clock signal. Detection circuitry detects a timing violation associated with the DCO clock signal based on a comparison between at least a portion of the first count and at least a portion of the second count.

Frequency counter circuit for detecting timing violations

A frequency measurement circuit includes a counter circuit to receive a first digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) clock signal corresponding to a first DCO input codeword and a measurement signal. The counter circuit is responsive to the measurement signal to generate a count representing a measured frequency of the first DCO clock signal. A control circuit is configured to selectively adjust a parameter of the measurement signal for generating a second count of a second DCO clock signal corresponding to a second DCO codeword. The control circuit selectively adjusts the parameter based on a received control signal.

Frequency measurement circuit with adaptive accuracy

A phase detection circuit includes a first phase detection path having a first input to receive a first signal, and a second input to receive a second signal. Asynchronous transition detection circuitry detects an early/late relationship between the first signal and the second signal when at least one of the first signal and the second signal transitions from a first state to a second state. Output circuitry generates a control signal with a value based on the early/late relationship.

Zero-offset phase detector apparatus and method

A delay circuit includes a delay line including at least a first group of delay elements. The delay line is responsive to a first digital delay code to delay an input signal by a first delay value, and responsive to a change from the first digital delay code to a second digital delay code to delay the input signal by a second delay value. Control circuitry generates the first and second digital delay codes. Glitch monitoring circuitry couples to the control circuitry to conditionally gate the change from the first digital delay code to the second digital delay code based on a prediction of a glitch condition.

Glitch-free digital controlled delay line apparatus and method

A charge sharing circuit includes a charge source having an accumulated first charge and a charge load having an accumulated second charge, where during a charge sharing interval the second charge is less than the first charge. A charge sharing regulator selectively couples between the charge source and the charge load along a charge sharing path. The charge sharing regulator regulates transfer of a shared amount of charge from the charge source to the charge load during the charge sharing interval.

Regulated charge sharing apparatus and methods

A method of operation in a locked-loop circuit. The locked-loop circuit includes a loop filter and a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO). The loop filter includes a first input to receive a digital word representing a difference between a reference clock frequency and a DCO output frequency. The loop filter includes internal storage. The method includes selecting a desired DCO output frequency that is generated in response to a calibration DCO codeword. A start value is retrieved from the loop filter internal storage. The start value corresponds to the calibration DCO codeword. The locked-loop circuit is then started with the retrieved start value.

Locked loop circuit and method with digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) gain normalization

A method of operation in a locked-loop circuit. The locked-loop circuit includes a loop filter and a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) coupled to the output of the loop filter. The loop filter includes a first input to receive a digital word representing a difference between a reference clock frequency and a DCO output frequency. The method includes determining a calibration DCO codeword representing a calibration operating point for the locked-loop circuit; determining a scaling factor based on the calibration operating point, the scaling factor based on a ratio of an actual DCO gain to a nominal DCO gain; and applying the scaling factor to operating parameters of the loop filter.

An integrated circuit (IC) includes multiple interconnected driver cells enabled/disabled based on a first set of control signals. The multiple circuit cells are arranged to define a first aggregate enabled/disabled configuration exhibiting a first aggregated delay. The first aggregated delay is based on the individual enabled/disabled states of the circuit cells. Timing circuitry evaluates the first aggregate delay with respect to a circuit design constraint, and selectively generates a second set of control signals to configure the multiple circuit cells to define a second aggregate enabled/disabled configuration having a second aggregate delay different than the first aggregate delay.

Timing analysis for parallel multi-state driver circuits

A method of operation in an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes performing a calibration operation. The calibration operation includes sampling an input analog reference voltage. A sequence of charge sharing transfers is then performed with a charge sharing regulator to transfer an actual amount of charge between a charge source and a charge load based on the input analog reference voltage. The transferred actual amount of charge is compared to a reference charge value corresponding to the reference voltage. A control input to the charge sharing regulator is adjusted to correspondingly adjust charge sharing of a subsequent amount of charge based on the comparing.

Methods and apparatus for calibrating a regulated charge sharing analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

A delay balancing circuit includes a phase detection circuit, a controller, and a delay circuit. The phase detection circuit receives a reference clock signal having a first frequency, and a feedback clock signal derived from an output clock signal. Detection circuitry detects a phase relationship between the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal. The phase detection circuit generates a detection signal based on the detected phase relationship. The controller operates to sample the detection signal and to generate and pass an update signal to a delay line to update a delay based on the sampled value. The delay circuit receives a third clock signal and applies a delay, based on the update signal, to the third clock signal to generate the output clock signal.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey Alan Fredenburg