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US 2006/0136769 A1Published application
Interface circuit for strobe-based systems
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorsJade Kizer, Sivakumar Doraiswamy, Benedict Lau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for masking strobe signals in strobe-based systems are provided below. These strobe-masking systems receive a strobe signal from a component operating under one clock domain and in turn generate a masked version of the strobe signal. Components of a host system use the masked strobe signal to receive or transfer data from the clock domain of the strobe signal through a mesochronous clock domain crossing into a different clock domain.
Claims44
A memory controller comprising:
- a delay circuit that couples to an enable signal and a clock signal, the enable signal and clock signal being clocked at a first phase;
- a selection circuit that controls an adjustable delay of the delay circuit;
- a latch circuit that latches a delayed enable signal from the delay circuit in response to a strobe signal being clocked at a second phase;
- and
- a mask circuit that masks the strobe signal to generate a masked strobe signal using the delayed enable signal of the latch circuit.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- circuitry that generates a delayed enable signal by applying a delay to an enable signal, a frequency of the enable signal corresponding to a first clock;
- circuitry that controls a period of the delay;
- circuitry that generates a synchronized enable signal by synchronizing the delayed enable signal to a valid period of a strobe signal, a frequency of the strobe signal corresponding to a second clock;
- and
- circuitry that generates a masked strobe signal by gating the strobe signal using the synchronized enable signal.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- an integrated circuit being clocked at a first phase;
- a memory component being clocked at a second phase;
- an interface circuit that receives a strobe signal from the memory component and an enable signal and a clock signal from the integrated circuit, the interface circuit including circuitry to generate a delayed enable signal by delaying the enable signal, generate a synchronized enable signal by synchronizing the delayed enable signal to a valid period of the strobe signal, and generate a masked strobe signal by gating the strobe signal using the synchronized enable signal.
A method comprising:
- generating a delayed enable signal by applying a delay to a received enable signal, a frequency of the received enable signal corresponding to a first clock;
- controlling a period of the delay;
- generating a synchronized enable signal by synchronizing the delayed enable signal to a valid period of a strobe signal, a frequency of the strobe signal corresponding to a second clock;
- and
- generating a masked strobe signal by gating the strobe signal using the synchronized enable signal.
2 more elements
Machine-readable media including information that represents an apparatus, the represented apparatus comprising:
- circuitry that generates a delayed enable signal by applying a delay to an enable signal, a frequency of the enable signal corresponding to a first clock;
- circuitry that controls a period of the delay;
- circuitry that generates a synchronized enable signal by synchronizing the delayed enable signal to a valid period of a strobe signal, a frequency of the strobe signal corresponding to a second clock;
- and
- circuitry that generates a masked strobe signal by gating the strobe signal using the synchronized enable signal.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- means for generating a delayed enable signal by applying a delay to a received enable signal, a frequency of the received enable signal corresponding to a first clock;
- means for controlling a period of the delay;
- means for generating a synchronized enable signal by synchronizing the delayed enable signal to a valid period of a strobe signal, a frequency of the strobe signal corresponding to a second clock;
- and
- means for generating a masked strobe signal by gating the strobe signal using the synchronized enable signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.