Integrated device and method of reducing voltage drops on a supply distribution metal path of a device
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsGiuseppe CONTI, Lorenzo LEONE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An embodiment of an integrated circuit includes first and second pads, a supply conductor, and a selection circuit. The first pad is coupled to the supply conductor, and the selection circuit is configurable to couple the second pad to the supply conductor. For example, in a low-pin-count integrated circuit, one may select the second pad to be an input/output pad under normal-power conditions, and to be a supply pad under high-power conditions to reduce the voltage drop along the supply conductor.
Claims26
-4. (canceled)
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a first supply conductor;
- a first pad coupled to the supply conductor;
- a second pad;
- and
- a first selection circuit configurable to couple the second pad to the supply conductor.
A system, comprising:
- a first integrated circuit, including:
- a first supply conductor;
- a first pad coupled to the supply conductor;
- a second pad;
- and
- a first selection circuit configurable to couple the second pad to the supply conductor;
- and
- a second integrated circuit coupled to the first integrated circuit.
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a supply conductor;
- a first pad configurable to couple a supply signal to the supply conductor;
- a second pad;
- and
- a selection circuit configurable to couple the second pad to the supply conductor.
A method, comprising:
- coupling a supply signal from a first pad of an integrated circuit to a supply conductor of the integrated circuit;
- and
- coupling the supply signal from a second pad of the integrated circuit to the supply conductor via a coupling circuit.
A method, comprising:
- reducing an impedance between a first pad of an integrated circuit and a region of a supply conductor of the integrated circuit;
- and
- receiving a supply signal with the first pad after reducing the impedance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.