Lsi Corporation

Mark Franklin Turner

Jeffrey Scott Brown

Jonathan W Byrn

Jeff S Brown

Marek J Marasch

Miguel A Vilchis

Jay Daugherty

Paul Dorweiler

Joseph E Simko

Jay D Harker

Carol A Anderson

A paint roller sleeve removal tool for overlying an unwanted roller sleeve to allow a user to remove a soiled roller sleeve without spreading mess undesirably. The paint roller sleeve removal tool includes a primary tubular member having a first primary panel hingedly affixed to a second primary panel. The secondary tubular member is affixed to the primary tubular member, the secondary tubular member having a first secondary panel is affixed to a distal end of the first primary panel and a second secondary panel is affixed to a distal end of the second primary panel. The paint roller sleeve removal tool includes a plurality of protrusions that are affixed to an interior surface of each of the first primary panel, the second primary panel, the first secondary panel, and the second secondary panel.

Paint roller sleeve removal tool

Hole saw

A method of designing an integrated circuit, integrated circuits using different drive strengths and a signal integrity monitor are provide herein. In one embodiment, the signal integrity monitor includes: (1) a signal interface configured to receive a signal from a parallel data bus for transmission over a plurality of signal paths and (2) a victim signal identifier configured to dynamically determine a potential victim signal path of the plurality of signal paths.

System and method for decreasing signal integrity noise by using varying drive strengths based on likelihood of signals becoming victims

Disclosed is a diode clamping circuit that is used in an I/O buffer to suppress noise. Diode-connected CMOS transistors or PN junction transistors are utilized, which are native to the CMOS process. Switching circuitry is also disclosed to isolate the diodes and prevent current drain in the circuit. Switching circuitry is also used to switch between two different power supply voltages.

Overshoot suppression for input/output buffers

An apparatus for monitoring at least supply voltage in an IC includes a plurality of monitor circuits distributed throughout the integrated circuit. Each of the monitor circuits is operative to receive the supply voltage, or a signal representative thereof, and to generate an output signal indicative of a comparison between the supply voltage and a reference voltage. The apparatus further includes a control circuit coupled to the plurality of monitor circuits. The control circuit is operative to receive the respective output signals from the plurality of monitor circuits and to generate an output of the apparatus which is a function of information conveyed in the respective output signals from the plurality of monitor circuits.

On-chip power supply monitoring using a network of modulators

An apparatus for controlling clock skew in an integrated circuit (IC) includes timing circuitry operative to generate a clock signal for distribution in the IC and at least one buffer circuit operative to receive the clock signal, or a signal indicative of the clock signal, and to generate a delayed version of the clock signal as an output thereof. The buffer circuit includes at least first and second inverter stages and a resistive-capacitive (RC) loading structure. An output of the first inverter stage is connected to an input of the second inverter stage via the RC loading structure. The buffer circuit has a delay associated therewith that is selectively varied as a function of one or more adjustable characteristics of the RC loading structure. Clock skew in the IC is controlled as a function of the delay of the buffer circuit.

Fine-grained clock skew tuning in an integrated circuit

A global power distribution network in an integrated circuit comprising a first layer of conductive material and a second layer of conductive material. The first layer of conductive material may be (i) coupled to one or more power supplies and (ii) configured to form a plurality of first rails of a mesh. The first rails may (a) supply power to one or more components of a core logic of the integrated circuit, (b) be aligned with a first axis of the integrated circuit, and (c) have one or more parameters configured such that the mesh has a uniform voltage gradient from a perimeter of the integrated circuit to a center of the integrated circuit along the first axis. The second layer of conductive material may be (i) coupled to the one or more power supplies and (ii) configured to form a plurality of second rails of the mesh. The second rails may (a) supply power to one or more components of the core logic, (b) be aligned with a second axis of the integrated circuit, and (c) have one or more parameters configured such that the mesh comprises a uniform voltage gradient from the perimeter of the integrated circuit to the center of the integrated circuit along the second axis.

Power grid optimization

One aspect provides an input/output cell. The input/output cell, in one example, includes an input/output layout boundary delineated on a substrate, wherein the input/output layout boundary defines a first side parallel and opposing a second side, a third side parallel and opposing a fourth side, wherein the first and second sides are substantially perpendicular the third and fourth sides. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes input/output transistors positioned within the input/output layout boundary over the substrate. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes first and second power conductors and first and second ground conductors located over the substrate, the first power conductor and first ground conductor extending entirely between the first and second sides and the second power conductor and second ground conductor extending entirely between the third and fourth sides.

Input/output core design and method of manufacture therefor

Method of analyzing noise sensitivity of integrated circuits having at least one memory storage device and a noise sensitivity analyzer. In one embodiment, the noise sensitivity analyzer includes a circuit reservoir, a circuit parser and a circuit evaluator. The circuit reservoir is configured to receive and store a model of a circuit having at least one memory storage device to be analyzed. The circuit parser is configured to identify nodes of the model. The circuit evaluator is configured to apply a large test current to each of the nodes for multiple circuit states of the at least one memory storage device and determine which of the nodes are sensitive nodes.

Architecturally independent noise sensitivity analysis of integrated circuits having a memory storage device and a noise sensitivity analyzer

Disclosed is a closed-loop feedback system for controlling the soft error rate (SER) due to radiation strikes on electronic circuitry. A variable sensitivity soft error rate detector provides and output corresponding to the soft error rate. This output is supplied to a voltage control. The output of the voltage control is fed back to the sensitivity control of the sensor&#x2014;thus forming a feedback loop. The output of the voltage control may be the power supply of the soft error rate sensor. The output of the soft error rate sensor may also be used to enable and disable fault tolerant schemes or alert a user.

Closed-loop soft error rate sensitivity control

A sequential element having a master stage and a slave stage and a method of testing an IC having a scan chain and an IC. In one embodiment, the sequential element includes an input scan multiplexor configured to place the sequential element in a functional mode or a scan mode in response to a scan enable input and a scan out driver coupled to the slave stage and configured to provide a scan out signal when the sequential element is in the scan mode, the scan out driver coupled to an inverted scan enable input for a negative voltage supply.

Sequential element low power scan implementation

A storage medium recording a cell library having one or more cells that may be readable by a computer and may be used by the computer to design an integrated circuit. The one or more cells may have a physical dimension parameter and a channel width parameter. The physical dimension parameter may be a footprint of the one or more cells. The channel width parameter may have a minimum driver size and a maximum driver size. The channel width parameter may define a range within which a tool varies the channel width between the maximum driver size and the minimum driver size during a design flow of the integrated circuit based upon one or more power criteria without changing the footprint.

Granular channel width for power optimization

A modulated clock, a method of providing a modulated clock signal, an integrated circuit including a modulated clock and a library of cells including a modulated clock. In one embodiment, the modulated clock includes (1) a clock controller configured to generate a digital control stream and (2) clock logic circuitry having a first input configured to receive a clock signal and a second input configured to receive the digital control stream. The clock logic circuitry is configured to provide a modulated clock signal in response to the clock signal and the digital control stream, wherein the modulated clock signal has an effective frequency that differs from the first frequency.

Modulated clock, an IC including the modulated clock and a method of providing a modulated clock signal for power control

An apparatus and method for providing a read-only memory (ROM) bit cell having one each of a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor, which has reduced static and dynamic electric power losses, are described. In particular, the bit cell does not require a pre-charge transistor. The sense amplifier for determining the voltages on ROM bit lines may be a digital inverter, address decoding may be simplified since there are no timing requirements with respect to transistor pre-charge, and chips containing a plurality of ROM bit cell may be readily programmed. In one embodiment of the invention, each bit cell includes one PMOS transistor having its source in electrical connection with a voltage source, its drain connected or unconnected to a bit line, and its gate connected to an inverted version of the word line signal; and one NMOS transistor having its source connected to a lower voltage source, its drain connected or disconnected to the bit line, and its gate connected to the word line. The bit cell is programmed during the ROM generation by connecting the drain of either the PMOS (logic level 1) or the NMOS (logic level 0) to the bit line.

Growing community of inventors

Longmont, CO, United States of America

Mark Franklin Turner