Qualcomm Incorporated

Arm Limited

Pradeep Raj

Rahul Sahu

Sharad Kumar Gupta

Chulmin Jung

Mukund Narasimhan

Fahad Ahmed

Vikash

Po-Hung Chen

Shiba Narayan Mohanty

Adithya Bhaskaran

Veerabhadra Rao Boda

Lakshmikantha Holla Vakwadi

Diwakar Singh

Sujit Kumar Rout

Raghav Gupta

Manish Trivedi

Rejeesh Ammanath Vijayan

Neelima Gudipati

Akshdeepika

Hemant Patel

A multi-port memory is provided that supports collision between a read port and a write port to the same multi-port bitcell. A sense amplifier reads a data bit from a multi-port bitcell when a write port to the multi-port bitcell is addressed during a system clock signal. Should a read port to the multi-port bitcell be addressed during the same system clock signal, a multiplexer selects for an output bit from the sense amplifier.

High-speed multi-port memory supporting collision

Apparatuses and methods to reduce leakage current are presented. The includes a switch circuit configured to power a circuit block; a delay circuit configured to delay enabling the switch circuit powering the circuit block and to be powered down; and a bypass circuit configured to bypass the delay circuit to disable the switch circuit powering the circuit block. The method includes powering, by switch, a circuit block; powering down a delay circuit; and bypassing, by a bypass circuit, the delay circuit to disable the switch circuit powering the circuit block.

Power supply circuit with reduced leakage current

One implementation includes a random access memory (RAM) that has a muted multiplexing functionality. For instance, a RAM may be implemented having a first outer bank, a first inner bank, a second outer bank, and a second inner bank, each coupled to a controller. Multiplexing circuits for the outer banks may be disposed adjacent the outer banks and away from the controller, whereas the multiplexing circuits for the inner banks may be disposed within or adjacent to the controller.

Memory circuit architecture with multiplexing between memory banks

A memory with reduced power consumption during a write assist period is provided that includes a series of inverters configured to delay a write assist signal to form a delayed write assist signal at a first terminal of a boost capacitor. A cutoff switch transistor couples between ground and a ground node of a final inverter in the series of inverters. A clock circuit switches off the cutoff switch transistor to isolate the first terminal of the boost capacitor before an end of a write assist period.

Memory write assist with reduced switching power

A memory is provided that is configured to practice a sleep mode without retention in which a both bitcell array and a memory periphery are powered down responsive to an assertion of sleep mode without retention control signal. The sleep mode without retention control signal is also asserted during a DVS scan to power down the bitcell array. The memory includes a power management circuit that responds to an assertion of a DVS scan control signal to prevent the assertion of the sleep mode without retention control signal from causing a power down of the memory periphery during the DVS scan. The memory periphery may thus be thoroughly tested by the DVS scan because leakage current from the bitcell array is prevented by the powering down of the bitcell array.

Memory with efficient DVS controlled by asynchronous inputs

Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a memory circuit. The memory circuit generally includes a memory cell coupled between a bit-line and a complementary bit-line. The memory circuit also includes a first n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor configured to couple the bit-line to a write drive input during a write cycle of the memory circuit. The memory circuit also includes a second NMOS transistor configured to couple the complementary bit-line to a complementary write drive input during the write cycle, and a multiplexer circuit having a first p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor coupled between a voltage rail and the bit-line or the complementary bit-line, the multiplexer circuit being configured to couple, via the first PMOS transistor, the bit-line or the complementary bit-line to the voltage rail during the write cycle.

Write assist circuitry for memory

A memory and method of performing a write operation in a memory are disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosure, the memory includes a memory cell, a pair of bit lines coupled to the memory cell, a multiplexer, and a pull-up circuit coupled to the multiplexer. The multiplexer may be configured to select the pair of bit lines coupled to the memory cell during the write operation. To increase the write performance of the memory cell, the pull-up circuit is configured to select which of the pair of bit lines is a non-zero bit line during the write operation and to clamp the non-zero bit line through the multiplexer to approximately a power rail voltage. Thus, the pull-up circuit may increase the voltage difference between the non-zero bit line and the zero bit line during the write operation and thus decrease the area and power consumed by a boost capacitance.

Area efficient write data path circuit for SRAM yield enhancement

Methods and apparatuses to adjust wordline voltage level are presented. An apparatus includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple rows. A wordline is configured to couple to one row of the multiple rows for a read or write operation. A wordline driving circuit is configured to provide a voltage level to the wordline to facilitate the read or write operation. A tracking circuit is configured to emulate a characteristic of one of the multiple memory cells. A pull-down circuit is configured to lower the voltage level of the wordline by an amount, based on the tracking circuit, to access the one row of the multiple rows in the read or write operation. A method includes emulating a characteristic of one of multiple of memory cells and lowering a voltage level of the wordline by an amount to access one row of the multiple rows in the read or write operation.

Access assist with wordline adjustment with tracking cell

A memory is provided that includes a negative bit line boost circuit for boosting a discharged bit line to a negative voltage during a negative bit line boost period for a write operation to a selected column in the memory. The memory also includes a core voltage control circuit configured to float a core power supply voltage for the selected column during the negative bit line boost period.

SRAM write yield enhancement with pull-up strength modulation

A pair of write driver inverters are arranged in series to drive a bit line responsive to a data bit input signal. A first boost capacitor provides a negative boost to a first ground node for a first one of the write driver inverters during the write assist period. A second boost capacitor provides a negative boost to a second ground node for a second one of the write driver inverters during the write assist period.

Write driver circuitry to reduce leakage of negative boost charge

A write driver is provided that includes a first write driver inverter that inverts a data signal to drive a gate of a second write driver transistor. The write driver transistor has a terminal coupled to a bit line and another terminal coupled to a boost capacitor. A ground for the first write driver inverter floats during a write assist period to choke off leakage of boost charge from the boost capacitor through the write driver transistor.

Write data path to reduce charge leakage of negative boost

A memory and apparatus are disclosed. The memory includes a memory core having a plurality of memory cells. The memory also includes a first write assist circuit configured to assist writing to a first group of the plurality of memory cells of the memory core. Additionally, the memory includes a second write assist circuit configured to assist writing to a second group of the plurality of memory cells of the memory core. The apparatus includes at least one processor. The apparatus also includes a memory array. The memory array includes a memory core having a plurality of memory cells. The memory also includes a first write assist circuit configured to assist writing to a first group of the plurality of memory cells of the memory core and a second write assist circuit configured to assist writing to a second group of the plurality of memory cells of the memory core.

Architecture to improve write-ability in SRAM

Various implementations described herein are directed to an integrated circuit for read-write contention. The integrated circuit may include a memory circuit having multiple ports configured to receive data signals corresponding to each port. The integrated circuit may include a contention override circuit providing a contention override signal for each port based on detecting a read-write contention between the ports. The integrated circuit may include a write circuit having multiple passgates for each port including write passgates and contention passgates for each port. The write passgates may be input with data signals from corresponding ports. The contention passgates may be input with data signals from opposing ports based on opposing contention override signals.

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Bengaluru, India

Pradeep Raj