# US 8,571,513 B2 · Integrated circuit passive signal distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,513 B2 - Document ID: US8571513B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/540,500 - Filed: 2012-07-02 - Published: 2012-11-08 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-29 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Frank O'Mahony; Bryan Casper; James Jaussi; Matthew B. Haycock; Joseph Kennedy; Mozhgan Mansuri; Stephen R. Mooney - Inventors: Frank O'Mahony; Bryan Casper; James Jaussi; Matthew B. Haycock; Joseph Kennedy; Mozhgan Mansuri; Stephen R. Mooney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571513B2 ## CPC - H04L 25/0278: {Arrangements for impedance matching} - H03K 5/15013: {with more than two outputs} - H04L 25/0292: {Arrangements specific to the receiver end} - H04L 25/0298: {Arrangement for terminating transmission lines} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract For one disclosed embodiment, an integrated circuit may comprise an internal transmission line in one or more layers of the integrated circuit. The internal transmission line may be coupled to receive a signal from an external transmission line at a first end of the internal transmission line without use of termination circuitry. The internal transmission line may transmit the signal passively to a second end of the internal transmission line. The integrated circuit may also comprise first circuitry having an input coupled to the internal transmission line at a first location of the internal transmission line to receive the signal and second circuitry having an input coupled to the internal transmission line at a second location of the internal transmission line to receive the signal. The second location may be different from the first location. Other embodiments are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection unit to receive a signal; a passive transmission line (TL) coupled to the first ESD protection unit to receive the signal at a first end of the passive TL; and a second ESD protection unit coupled to the passive TL at a first location of the passive TL, the first end being different from the first location of the passive TL. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1 further comprises a first circuit coupled to the second ESD protection unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The IC of claim 2, wherein the second ESD protection unit is smaller in size than the first ESD protection circuit, and wherein the second ESD protection unit is closer to the first circuit than the first ESD protection unit is from the first circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1, wherein the first ESD protection unit is located closer to an input-output (I/O) pad than the second ESD protection unit is from the I/O pad. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1, wherein the first end of the passive TL is independent of a termination unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1 further comprises a termination unit at a second end of the passive TL, the second end being different from the first end of the passive TL. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1 further comprises: a third ESD protection unit coupled to the passive TL at a second location of passive TL, the second location being different from the first location; and a second circuit coupled to the third ESD protection unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1 further comprises a first resistor coupled at one end to the first location of the passive TL and coupled at another end to the second ESD protection unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The IC of claim 1, wherein the second ESD protection unit comprises a diode which is smaller in size than a diode of the first ESD protection unit. ### Claim 10 A system comprising: a battery; a first processor to generate a signal; and a second processor coupled to the battery, the second processor including: a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection unit to receive the signal from the first processor; a passive transmission line (TL) coupled to the first ESD protection unit to receive the signal at a first end of the passive TL; a second ESD protection unit coupled to the passive TL at a first location of the passive TL; and a first circuit coupled to the second ESD protection unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprises a wireless interface coupled to the second processor to communicatively link the second processor with another device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprises a display unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first ESD protection unit is located closer to an input-output (I/O) pad of the second processor than the second ESD protection unit is from the I/O pad. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first end of the passive TL is independent of a termination unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the second processor further comprises a termination unit at a second end of the passive TL, the second end being different from the first end of the passive TL. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the second processor further comprises: a third ESD protection unit coupled to the passive TL at a second location of passive TL, the second location being different for the first location; and a second circuit coupled to the third ESD protection unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the second ESD protection unit comprises a diode which is smaller in size than a diode of the first ESD protection unit. ### Claim 18 An integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a first passive transmission line (TL) to receive at its first end a clock signal from another processor external to the IC; a second passive TL to receive at its first end a data signal from the other processor, the data signal being synchronized with reference to the clock signal; and a first circuit having an input node coupled to the first passive TL at a first location of the first passive TL to receive the clock signal, the clock signal for recovering data from the received data signal, wherein the first ends of the first and second passive TLs are independent of a termination unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The IC of claim 18 further comprises a second circuit having an input node coupled to the first passive TL at a second location of the first passive TL to receive the clock signal, wherein the second location is different from the first location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The IC of claim 18, wherein the clock signal and the data signal are transmitted by a transmitter of the other processor over a first and second transmission media coupled to the first and second passive TLs respectively.