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US 7,961,027 B1Granted
Clock integrated circuit
AssigneeMacronix International Co., Ltd.
InventorsChung-Kuang Chen, Chun-Hsiung Hung, Han-Sung Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The clock circuit of an integrated circuit operates with variations such as temperature, ground noise, and power noise. Various aspects of an improved clock integrated circuit address one or more of the variations in temperature, ground noise, and power noise.
Claims38
An apparatus, comprising:
- a clock integrated circuit, comprising:
- a latch generating a clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit, the latch including cross-coupled gates, such that outputs of the cross-coupled gates in the latch are coupled to inputs of different cross-coupled gates in the latch;
- timing circuitry coupled to an output of the latch, an output of the timing circuitry alternating between a first reference signal and a second reference signal at a rate determined by a time constant having temperature dependence, the output of the timing circuitry determining timing of the clock signal output;
- inverter circuitry comparing an output of the timing circuitry against a temperature compensated trigger point of the inverter circuitry, such that the timing of the clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit resists variation with temperature, an output of the inverter circuitry coupled to an input of the latch.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a clock integrated circuit, comprising:
- a latch generating a clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit, the latch including cross-coupled gates, such that outputs of the cross-coupled gates in the latch are coupled to inputs of different cross-coupled gates in the latch;
- timing circuitry coupled to an output of the latch, an output of the timing circuitry alternating between a first reference signal and a second reference signal at a rate determined by a time constant having temperature dependence, the output of the timing circuitry determining timing of the clock signal output;
- Schmitt trigger circuitry comparing an output of the timing circuitry against a temperature compensated reference, such that the timing of the clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit resists variation with temperature, an output of the inverter circuitry coupled to an input of the latch.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a clock integrated circuit, comprising:
- a latch generating a clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit, the latch including cross-coupled gates, such that outputs of the cross-coupled gates in the latch are coupled to inputs of different cross-coupled gates in the latch;
- timing circuitry coupled to an output of the latch, an output of the timing circuitry alternating between a first reference signal and a second reference signal at a rate determined by a time constant having temperature dependence, the output of the timing circuitry determining timing of the clock signal output;
- operational amplifier circuitry comparing an output of the timing circuitry against a temperature compensated reference, such that the timing of the clock signal output of the clock integrated circuit resists variation with temperature, an output of the inverter circuitry coupled to an input of the latch;
- and
- a current generator based reference circuit generating the temperature compensated reference.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.