The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 1997

Filed:

Sep. 06, 1996
Applicant:
Inventors:

Scott Whitney Gould, South Burlington, VT (US);

Frederick Curtis Furtek, Menlo Park, CA (US);

Frank Ray Keyser, III, Colchester, VT (US);

Brian A Worth, Milton, VT (US);

Terrance John Zittritsch, Williston, VT (US);

Assignees:

International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);

Atmel Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
326 40 ; 326 41 ; 326 46 ; 326 93 ;
Abstract

A signal distribution architecture for clock and reset signal distribution in a programmable array is disclosed. The architecture includes separate networks for distributing clock and reset signals to logic cells of the array. Each network includes a plurality of column multiplexers for selecting a column clock or reset signal from a plurality of system clock or reset signals. Within each column of logic cells are positioned sector multiplexers for selecting a sector clock or reset signal from a plurality of column clock or reset signals. The clock and reset signals are applied to the combinatorial and sequential logic circuits of each logic cell associated with a given sector multiplexer. A clock gate circuit is controlled cooperatively with an output multiplexer in each logic cell. The networks are designed with features to minimize signal skew including signal source buffering, multiplexer signal buffering and output driver sizing as a function of signal propagation distance.


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