Multiplexor having a reference voltage on unselected lines
AssigneeUnity Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsDarrell Rinerson, Christophe J. Chevallier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Providing a multiplexor outputting a reference voltage on unselected lines. A multiplexor that has at least one selected line and multiple unselected lines will have the unselected lines at a reference voltage. The selected line allows at least a portion of voltage to pass. Two gate circuits are used for each line, one that controls whether voltage (or a portion thereof) will pass, the other that connects the first gate circuit to a reference voltage, such as ground. In some embodiments the second gate circuit is always on, but is relatively small, such that the connection to the reference voltage has a weak effect on the output voltage. In other embodiments, the second gate circuit is only on when its associated first gate circuit is off.
Claims25
A multiplexor comprising:
- a first port that receives a first signal, the first signal capable of being held to at least a first voltage and a second voltage;
- a plurality of second ports;
- a plurality of control signals;
- a plurality of first gate circuits, each first gate circuit
- being in electrical contact with the first port, one of the second ports from the plurality of second ports, and at least one of the control signals;
- allowing the first signal to pass if the at least one control signal is in a select mode;
- and
- allowing substantially no voltage to pass if the at least one control signal is in an unselect mode
- a plurality of second gate circuits, each second gate circuit in electrical contact with one of the first gate circuits, one of the second ports, and a reference voltage that has a voltage less than the first voltage and greater than the second voltage.
A method comprising:
- accepting a plurality of control signals, each control signal capable of having at least two different modes of operation including a select mode and an unselect mode;
- providing a plurality of first gate circuits in electrical contact with a first port, the first port capable of being held to at least a first voltage and a second voltage, each first gate circuit
- allowing voltage from the first port to pass if an associated control signal is in a select mode;
- and
- allowing substantially no voltage from the first port to pass if the associated control signal is in an unselect mode;
- providing a plurality of second gate circuits in electrical contact with a plurality of second ports, each second gate circuit in electrical contact with a reference voltage that is intermediate to the first voltage and the second voltage, one of the first gate circuits and one of the second ports.
A system comprising:
- x-direction conductive array lines;
- y-direction conductive array lines;
- a first and a second multiplexor, each multiplexor having:
- a first port that receives a first signal, the first signal capable of being held to at least a first voltage and a second voltage;
- a plurality of second ports;
- a plurality of first gate circuits, each first gate circuit
- being in electrical contact with the first port, one of the second ports from the plurality of second ports, and at least one control signal;
- allowing the first signal to pass if the at least one control signal is in a select mode;
- and
- allowing substantially no voltage to pass if the at least one control signal is in an unselect mode
- a plurality of second gate circuits, each second gate circuit in electrical contact with one of the first gate circuits, one of the second ports, and a reference voltage that has a voltage intermediate to the first voltage and the second voltage;
- wherein the plurality of second ports of the first multiplexor are in electrical contact with the x-direction conductive array lines;
- wherein the plurality of second ports of the second multiplexor are in electrical contact with the y-direction conductive array lines;
- and
- wherein the x-direction conductive array lines and the y-direction conductive array lines from a cross point array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.