Storage device having low power mode and methods thereof
AssigneeFreescale Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorsRavindraraj Ramaraju, David R. Bearden
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Abstract
A storage device and methods thereof are disclosed. The device includes a clock control module and a latch. During normal operation, the clock control module provides a periodic clock signal to a clock input of the latch, allowing the latch to operate normally. In a low power mode of operation, the clock control module provides a constant signal to the clock input of the latch so that the latch retains stored data during the low power mode of operation. The storage device can also include a power control module that provides a first power level to the latch in the normal mode of operation and a second power level during the second mode of operation.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a power control module comprising a control input to receive a mode control signal and an output, the power control module configured to provide a first voltage reference at the output in response to the mode control signal being in a first state and to provide a second voltage reference at the output in response to the mode control signal being in a second state;
- a clock control module comprising a control input to receive the mode control signal, a first clock input, and a first output, the first output configured to provide a clock signal when the mode control signal is in the first state and configured to provide a constant signal level at the first output in response to the mode control signal being in the second state;
- and
- a first latch comprising:
- a first pass gate comprising a first control input coupled to the first output of the clock control module and a first output;
- and
- a first storage element comprising a first data input coupled to the first output of the first pass gate, a first clock input coupled to the first output of the clock control module, and a power input coupled to the output of the power control module.
A method, comprising:
- in a first mode of operation, latching data at a first storage element;
- during the first mode of operation, providing a first periodic clock signal to a first clock input of the storage element;
- in a second mode of operation, maintaining the data latched at the first storage element;
- and
- during the second mode of operation, providing a fixed signal level to the first clock input of the first storage element.
A device, comprising:
- a power control module comprising a control input to receive a mode control signal and an output, the power control module configured to provide a first voltage reference at the output in response to the mode control signal being in a first state and to provide a second voltage reference at the output in response to the mode control signal being in a second state;
- a clock control module comprising a control input to receive the mode control signal, a first clock input, and a first output, the first output configured to provide a clock signal when the mode control signal is in the first state and configured to provide a constant signal level at the first output in response to the mode control signal being in the second state, wherein the constant signal level is based on the second voltage reference;
- a first latch comprising:
- a first pass gate comprising a first control input coupled to the first output of the clock control module and a first output;
- and
- a first storage element comprising a first data input coupled to the first output of the first pass gate, a first clock input coupled to the first output of the clock control module, and a power input coupled to the output of the power control module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.