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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 28, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 23, 1998
Keith M Self, Aloha, OR (US);
Jeffrey E Smith, Aloha, OR (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for easing design constraints with respect to placement of computer system components and subsystems requiring relative synchronicity are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first phase-locked loop (PLL) coupled to a reference clock pin by a path of length L1 and a first PLL feedback pin by a path of length L2 such that L1.apprxeq.L2. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a second PLL coupled to the reference clock pin by a path of length L3. The second PLL is coupled to an internal core of the integrated circuit by a path of length L4 such that L3.apprxeq.L4. In one embodiment, a computer system incorporating the apparatus includes a first propagation path of length L5 coupled to the first PLL output pin. The first PLL output pin is coupled to the first PLL feedback pin by a path of length L6 such that L5.apprxeq.L6. The choice of electrical lengths allows relative synchronicity between the clock signals propagated to the internal core and the end of the first propagation path.