Systems and Methods for the Distribution of Clock Signals

Abstract

Systems and methods to distribute clock signals using a common bus. In one embodiment, a clock signal distribution system includes: a bus; a transmitter coupled to the bus to drive a clock signal onto the bus; and one or more receivers coupled to the bus to receive the clock signal, in which the impedance of each receiver is lower than 1000 ohms (or 500 or 200 ohms). In one embodiment, the clock distribution system is on an integrated circuit to distribute the clock on the integrated circuit chip. In one embodiment, the receivers are self-biased; a bias current of the transmitter is a dynamic sum of bias currents of the receivers; and, each of the receivers has a duty cycle correction mechanism. In one embodiment, there is no inductor between the transmitter and the low impedance receiver in the clock distribution system; and the bus has no terminator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.