Ati Technologies Ulc

Ricky Lau

Richard W Fung

Ju Tung Ng

Methods and apparatus provide for indicating multi-power rail status of integrated circuits by taking into account a clock signal provided by, for example, core logic, in addition to considering voltage levels of multiple power rails. In one example, the apparatus includes multi-power rail status indicating logic that provides a multi-power rail status signal. The multi-power rail status signal is synchronized for assertion with a clock signal of the integrated circuit, such as the core logic of the integrated circuit, in response to an assertion of an asynchronous multi-power rail voltage stability signal. The asynchronous multi-power rail voltage stability signal indicates a state of a plurality of voltage signals from a plurality of power rails supplied to the integrated circuit. The multi-power rail status indicating logic may include a synchronous assertion/asynchronous de-assertion multi-power rail status signal generator that receives the clock signal and the asynchronous multi-power rail voltage stability signal, and in response to of the assertion of the asynchronous multi-power rail voltage stability signal, synchronizes the asynchronous multi-power rail voltage stability signal with the clock signal to assert the multi-power rail status signal.

Method and apparatus for indicating multi-power rail status of integrated circuits

Methods and apparatus provide for voltage level shifting with concurrent synchronization. The apparatus includes level shifting logic that in response to a non-level shifted clock signal from a first voltage domain, provides level shifted concurrently synchronous differential data signals in a second voltage domain based on pre-level shifted differential data signals from the first voltage domain. The first voltage domain may be, for example, a core logic voltage domain in which core logic operates. The second voltage domain may be, for example, an input/output (I/O) voltage domain in which an I/O buffer operates. The voltage level of the level shifted concurrently synchronous differential data signals is shifted from the pre-level shifted differential data signals, and the timing of the level shifted concurrently synchronous differential data signals is concurrently referenced to the non-level shifted clock signal.

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Toronto, Canada

Ricky Lau