Invecas, Inc.

Soctronics, Inc.

Other

Synopsys, Inc.

Procket Networks, Inc.

Prasad Chalasani

Venkata N S N Rao

Majid Jalali Far

Narasimhan Vasudevan

Ravindra Kantamani

Vijay Gadde

William Loh

Venkata Nsn Rao

Shaolei Quan

Aram Martirosyan

A multi-protocol receiver for receiving at least one input signal comprises: a comparator, a protection controller, and a multi-stage current mode logic ('CML') buffer. The comparator compares a reference voltage and a predefined voltage. At least one output of the comparator is coupled to at least one input of the protection controller. The multi-stage current mode logic buffer receives the input signal and the reference voltage. Outputs of the protection controller are coupled to control inputs of the multi-stage CML buffer for operating the multi-stage CML buffer to process the input signal and the reference signal.

Multi-protocol receiver

A digital voltmeter, where a number of clock pulses for a first ramp voltage to reach an input voltage is determined. Next, a number of clock pulses for a second ramp voltage to reach the input voltage is determined. One of the first and the second ramp voltages having a least number of clock pulses to reach the input voltage is determined. A determination is made for a number of clock pulses for the determined one of the first and the second ramp voltages to reach a reference voltage. A digital code is generated for the input voltage based on the determined number of clock pulses for reaching the reference voltage and the determined least number of clock pulses for reaching the input voltage.

Digital voltmeter

A synchronizing high-speed clock divider has a Clk input, a Clks input, and a reset input configured to correct phase misalignment on clock divider outputs caused by phase skew between a Clk input signal and a Clks input signal, and comprises a reset synchronizer configured to generate at least one synchronous internal reset signal in response to a reset signal and the Clk input signal, a first clock divider configured to receive the Clk input signal on the Clk input and a reset signal on a first clock divider reset input to provide a Clk out signal, a second clock divider configured to receive the Clks input signal on the Clks input and the reset signal on a second clock divider reset input to provide a Clks out signal, a phase skew detector configured to detect a phase alignment between the Clk out signal and the Clks out signal, and a phase skew corrector coupled to the phase skew detector and the second clock divider configured to change the phase alignment to be within a same phase as the first clock divider. A key aspect of the clock divider is that once phase misalignment between the Clk and Clks out signals is detected, the phase misalignment is corrected.

Method and apparatus of operating synchronizing high-speed clock dividers to correct clock skew

A pulse-width-to-voltage ('PWV') converter, comprises: a switch, a capacitor, a current source, and a current sink. The switch is operable by a signal. The current source, the current sink, and the switch are serially connected across a high voltage potential and a low voltage potential. An output node is coupled to a serial connection between the current source and the current sink. An end of the capacitor is coupled to the output node for converting a current into a control voltage indicative of a duty cycle of the signal.

Duty cycle detection

A power voltage detector comprises voltage sensors for sensing supply voltages; and a logic. The logic combines the sensed supply voltages to generate a logic output indicative of whether the sensed supply voltages have met one or more predefined thresholds. Each of the voltage sensors has diode-connected transistors and passive resistance. The diode-connected transistors and the passive resistance are serially connected for generating an output, where the output is coupled to an input of the logic.

Voltage detector

A master-slave delay locked loop system comprises a master delay locked loop ('MDLL') for generating at least one bias voltage and at least one slave delay locked loop ('SDLL'). The at least one SDLL is coupled to the MDLL, where the at least one SDLL comprises an analog to digital converter for converting the at least one bias voltage to at least one digital signal, an adder/subtractor block for adjusting the at least one digital signal based on at least one control signal, a digital to analog converter for converting the at least one adjusted digital signal to at least one analog signal, a voltage to current converter for converting the at least one analog signal to at least one bias current, delay elements for generating phase delayed signals based on the at least one bias current, and a phase detector and control logic for determining any phase difference between the phase delayed signals and for generating the at least one control signal to align the phase delayed signals.

Clock alignment scheme for data macros of DDR PHY

An optimized method, system, and apparatus for determining optimal DQS delay for DDR memory interfaces are disclosed. The method performs data eye training in a two dimensional space with time delay value as x-axis and reference voltage (Vref) as y-axis to determine a rectangular data eye within an overall data eye with Vref margin.

Optimal data eye for improved Vref margin

A master-slave delay locked loop system comprises a master delay locked loop ('MDLL') and at least one slave delay locked loop ('SDLL'). The MDLL generates one or more biases. Each of the at least one SDLL has a slave calibration unit and slave delay elements. The slave calibration unit calibrates the slave delay elements using a slave calibration loop and the generated one or more bias. Thus, each of the SDLL is calibrated to account for any electrical noise, pressure, voltage, and temperature variations that the respective SDLL experiences.

A method for clocking a physical layer ('PHY') and a controller of a computing device, comprises the steps of: generating a reference clock signal; synchronizing a plurality of clock signals as a function of the reference clock signal; and clocking the controller and the PHY using the plurality of synchronized clock signals.

Methods and systems for clocking a physical layer interface

An optimized method and apparatus for determining optimal DQS delay for DDR memory interfaces are disclosed. The method performs data eye training in a two dimensional space with time delay value as x-axis and reference voltage (Vref) as y-axis to determine a rectangular data eye within an overall data eye with Vref margin.

A distribution network for distributing clock and reset signals across an address macro has circuit blocks having dividers and counters, drivers connected in a balanced tree, and drivers connected in an unbalanced tree. The dividers and counters are synchronized relative to a clock signal. The drivers connected in the balanced tree distribute the clock signal synchronously to the circuit blocks. The drivers connected in the unbalanced tree distribute a reset signal to the circuit blocks. The clock signal is distributed via the balanced tree as a function of the reset signal.

Methods and systems for distributing clock and reset signals across an address macro

A data path interface for transferring data to a memory device, comprising: programmable delay units ('PDUs'), wherein data is received by the interface according to a first clock signal and wherein the PDUs apply delays to the received data; and align blocks, wherein the align blocks select certain ones of the delayed data as a function of the first clock signal and a second clock signal, and wherein the selected certain ones of the delayed data are processed for transmission to the memory device according to the second clock signal.

Memory interface

A low power flip-flop is disclosed. The number of transistors which are coupled to the clock signal is reduced by more than half when compared with known flip-flop designs. The flip-flop comprises a pair of clocked transistors forming a pass gate and a plurality of inverters coupled thereto. By reducing the number of clock signal connections needed for reliable operation, the present invention reduces the power consumed by the flip-flop when operating at typical levels of activity by up to 70%.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Prasad Chalasani