Back to results
US 2016/0254041 A1Published application
Nonvolatile logic and security circuits
AssigneeEverspin Technologies, Inc.
InventorThomas Andre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some examples, a nonvolatile storage element may be configured to store a state or value during a low power or powered down period of a circuit. For example, the nonvolatile storage element may include a bridge of resistive elements that have a resistive state that may be configured by applying voltages to multiple drive paths. A sense amplifier may be connected to the bridge in order to resolve a voltage differential associated with the bridge to ether power or ground and, thereby determine the state associated with on the nonvolatile storage element.
Claims20
A circuit comprising:
- a volatile storage element configured to store a state associated with the circuit when the circuit is in a first mode;
- a nonvolatile storage element having a first restive mode and a second restive mode and configured to store the state associated with the circuit as one of a first restive state or a second restive state when the circuit is in a second mode;
- a write driver configured to detect the state of the volatile storage element and to configure a current restive state associated with the nonvolatile storage element by applying a plurality of drive voltages to the nonvolatile storage element in response to receiving a store signal, the store signal indicating the circuit is transitioning from the first mode to the second mode;
- and
- a sense amplifier configured to determine the state based at least in part on the current restive state of the nonvolatile storage element and to output the state to the volatile storage element in response to receiving a recall signal, the recall signal indicating the circuit is transitioning from the second mode to the first mode.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- a first physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit including a first set of magnetic tunnel junctions and a second set of magnetic tunnel junctions to generate a first digit of an unlock code;
- a second PUF circuit including a third set of magnetic tunnel junctions and a fourth set of magnetic tunnel junctions to generate a second digit of the unlock code;
- and
- an error correction circuit configured to receive the first digit and the second digit and to correct at least one error associated with the first digit and the second digit.
1 more element
A circuit comprising:
- a volatile storage element having a state;
- a nonvolatile storage element having a first restive mode representative of the state of the volatile storage element;
- a write driver configured to detect the state of the volatile storage element and to place the nonvolatile storage element in the first restive mode by applying a plurality of drive voltages to the nonvolatile storage element in response to receiving a store signal;
- and
- a sense amplifier configured to determine that the nonvolatile storage element is in the first resistive mode in response to receiving a recall signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.