Method and apparatus for resetting a high speed latch circuit
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorGary A. Frazier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A latch circuit includes first and second resonant tunneling diodes coupled in series, and a reset portion having a photodiode portion responsive to varying photonic energy for switching between first and second states which are different. When the photodiode portion is in its first state, the reset portion normalizes a voltage across each of the resonant tunneling diodes.
Claims9
An apparatus comprising a latch circuit which includes:
- first and second resonant tunneling devices coupled in series with each other between first and second nodes;
- a reset portion coupled to said first and second nodes, said reset portion including a photodiode portion responsive to varying photonic energy for switching between first and second states which are different, wherein when said photodiode portion is in said first state said reset portion normalizes a voltage across each of said resonant tunneling devices;
- a first terminal to which is applied a first voltage, and a second terminal to which is applied a second voltage less than said first voltage;
- and
- wherein said reset portion includes a first resistive element coupled between said first terminal and a first end of said photodiode portion, a first capacitive element coupled between said first node and said first end of said photodiode portion, a second resistive element coupled between said second terminal and a second end of said photodiode portion, and a second capacitive element coupled between said second node and said second end of said photodiode portion;
- a first bias terminal to which is applied a first bias voltage;
- a second bias terminal to which is applied a second bias voltage different from said first bias voltage;
- a third resistive element coupled between said first bias terminal and said first node;
- and a fourth resistive element coupled between said second bias terminal and said second node.
A method of operating a latch circuit having first and second resonant tunneling devices coupled in series with each other between first and second nodes, and a reset portion coupled to said first and second nodes, including:
- configuring said reset portion to include a photodiode portion responsive to varying photonic energy for switching between first and second states that are different;
- configuring said latch circuit to include a first terminal to which is applied a first voltage, and a second terminal to which is applied a second voltage less than said first voltage;
- configuring said reset portion to include a first resistive element coupled between said first terminal and a first end of said photodiode portion, a first capacitive element coupled between said first node and said first end of said photodiode portion, a second resistive element coupled between said second terminal and a second end of said photodiode portion, and a second capacitive element coupled between said second node and said second end of said photodiode portion;
- configuring said latch circuit to include a first bias terminal to which is applied a first bias voltage;
- a second bias terminal to which is applied a second bias voltage different from said first bias voltage;
- a third resistive element coupled between said first bias terminal and said first node;
- and a fourth resistive element coupled between said second bias terminal and said second node;
- and
- causing said photodiode portion to normalize a voltage across each of said resonant tunneling devices when said reset portion is in said first state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.