Method and apparatus to conditionally precharge a partitioned read-only memory with shared wordlines for low power operation

Abstract

A ROM or other memory may include two or more partitions and a precharge circuit. Each of the partitions may be coupled to separate sets of output conductors, to which the precharge circuit may be coupled. The precharge circuit may precharge the conductors of the partition to be read, while not precharging the other conductors. In one embodiment, the precharge may be to a voltage representing a binary value. In one implementation, the non-precharged conductors may be held to a predetermined voltage different from the voltage to which the precharged conductors are precharged. The predetermined voltage may represent the opposite binary value to the binary value represented by the precharge voltage. The ROM may also include an output circuit which may, in certain embodiments, comprise a logic circuit which logically combines the signals on respective conductors from each partition to provide output signals from the ROM.