US 6,191,620 B1 · Sense amplifier/comparator circuit and data comparison method

Abstract

A comparator circuit (40) includes a comparator network and a comparator enabling device (80) and may be integrated with a sense amplifier circuit (41). The comparator network is adapted to receive a complementary pair of reference data signals (B, B13) and a complementary pair of analog data signals (d1, d1b). An output of the comparator circuit (40) represents a comparison of the data represented by the reference data signals and the data represented by the analog data signals. The comparator output is generated in response to a comparator enable signal (SE) applied to the comparator enabling device (80) while the input data is applied to the comparator network. The comparator enable signal (SE) is applied at a time when the analog data signals (d1, d1b) have developed a minimum differential level.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A circuit comprising:

(a) a sense amplifier adapted to produce a first digital data output signal and a complementary digital data output signal in response to a first analog data signal, a complementary analog data signal, and a sense enable signal;
and
(b) a comparator adapted to produce a comparator output in response to the first analog data signal, the complementary analog data signal, a first reference data signal, a complementary reference data signal, and a comparator enable signal associated with the sense enable signal, the comparator output indicating whether the data represented by the first analog data signal and complementary analog data signal matches data represented by the first reference data signal and complementary reference data signal.

A method of comparing data represented by a complementary pair of digital reference data signals with data represented by a complementary pair of analog data signals, the method comprising the steps of:

p1 (a) applying the complementary pair of analog data signals to a comparator network;
(b) applying the complementary pair of reference data signals to the comparator network;
and
(c) applying a comparator enable signal to enable the comparator network to produce a comparator output once a minimum voltage differential is present between the two analog data signals, the comparator output indicating whether the data represented by the complementary pair of analog data signals matches the data represented by the complementary pair of reference data signals.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sense amplifier/comparator circuit and data comparison method

Life of this patent

Sense amplifier/comparator circuit and data comparison method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20