# US 8,788,868 B2 · Clock circuits and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,868 B2 - Document ID: US8788868B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/215,970 - Filed: 2011-08-23 - Published: 2013-02-28 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-23 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Nicholas T. Hendrickson - Inventors: Nicholas T. Hendrickson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788868B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/12: Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators} - G06F 1/04: Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom - G11C 7/222: {Clock generating, synchronizing or distributing circuits within memory device} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract Integrated circuits, apparatuses and methods are disclosed, such as a method that includes generating an internal clock signal, receiving an external clock signal, and providing a mixed clock signal at an output. The mixed clock signal has a frequency ranging from a defined maximum frequency of the external clock signal to a frequency margin below a frequency of the internal clock signal. Additional integrated circuits, apparatus and methods are described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit comprising: a first input to receive an internal clock signal; a second input to receive an external clock signal; and a comparator coupled to the first input and the second input, the comparator comprising: a first plurality of flip-flops coupled to the first input; a second plurality of flip-flops coupled to the second input; and a latch, coupled to an output of the first plurality of flip-flops and an output of the second plurality of flip-flops, that provides either an enable signal for the external clock signal or an enable signal for the internal clock signal in response to the frequency of the external clock signal being less than the frequency of the internal clock signal by less than the frequency margin wherein the frequency margin is determined by a quantity of flip-flops in each of the first and second pluralities of flip-flops. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the comparator comprises a frequency comparator to compare the frequency of the external clock signal with the frequency of the internal clock signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein: the comparator includes logic gates to block the internal clock signal from being provided at the output if the external clock signal is to be provided at the output; and the comparator includes logic gates to block the external clock signal from being provided at the output if the internal clock signal is to be provided at the output. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein: the logic gates to block the internal clock signal comprise NOT AND (NAND) gates; and the logic gates to block the external clock signal comprise NAND gates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising: a monostable multivibrator or a ring oscillator to generate the internal clock signal; and wherein the external clock signal is generated by a crystal oscillator external to the integrated circuit. ### Claim 6 An apparatus comprising: a clock generator circuit in an integrated circuit to generate an internal clock signal; an input to receive an external clock signal generated external to the integrated circuit; a comparator to compare a frequency of the external clock signal with a frequency of the internal clock signal, the comparator comprising: a first plurality of flip-flops coupled to the input; a second plurality of flip-flops coupled to the internal clock signal; and a latch, coupled to an output of the first plurality of flip-flops and an output of the second plurality of flip-flops, that provides an external clock enable signal and an internal clock enable signal; and a mixed clock circuit coupled to the input and the clock generator circuit to provide at an output one of the internal clock signal or the external clock signal based on the internal clock enable signal and the external clock enable signal, respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the comparator comprises a frequency comparator to conduct a race between the external clock signal and the internal clock signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises an array of non-volatile memory cells coupled to receive the clock signal provided at the output to program the non-volatile memory cells. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the comparator includes an input to receive a compare signal to initiate a comparison between the external clock signal and the internal clock signal. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: generating an internal clock signal; receiving an external clock signal; generating a plurality of enable signals in response to a comparison of the internal clock signal to the external clock signal using a first plurality of flip-flops coupled to the internal clock signal and a second plurality of flip-flops coupled to the external clock signal; and providing, in response to the plurality of enable signer, a mixed clock signal at an output, the mixed clock signal having a frequency ranging from a defined maximum frequency of the external clock signal to a frequency within a frequency margin of the internal clock signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing a frequency of the external clock signal with the frequency of the internal clock signal, wherein the mixed clock signal is provided responsive to the comparison. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein providing a mixed clock signal at the output comprises: providing the external clock signal at the output if the frequency of the external clock signal is higher than the frequency of the internal clock signal; providing the internal clock signal at the output if the frequency of the internal clock signal is greater than a frequency margin above the frequency of the external clock signal; and providing either the external clock signal or the internal clock signal at the output if the frequency of the external clock signal is less than the frequency of the internal clock signal by less than the frequency margin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising programming floating-gate memory cells in an array of non-volatile memory cells with the mixed clock signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the external clock signal further comprises receiving the external clock signal from a crystal oscillator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating the internal clock signal further comprises generating the internal clock signal using a monostable multivibrator or a ring oscillator in the integrated circuit. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: generating an internal clock signal; receiving an external clock signal; providing the internal clock signal to a first plurality of flip-flops; providing the external clock signal to a second plurality of flip-flops; generating one of a first enable signal or a second enable signal in response to comparing an output of the first plurality of flip-flops with an output of the second plurality of flip-flops; operating the integrated circuit according to a mixed clock signal having a frequency that is the frequency of the external clock signal unless the frequency of the external clock signal is more than a frequency margin below the frequency of the internal clock signal; and operating the integrated circuit according to the mixed clock signal having the frequency of the internal clock signal if the frequency of the mixed clock signal is not to be the frequency of the external clock signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising initiating the generating one of the first enable signal or the second enable signal responsive to a compare signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein operating the integrated circuit further comprises: providing the external clock signal to a circuit in the integrated circuit if the frequency of the external clock signal is higher than the frequency of the internal clock signal or is within a frequency margin of the internal clock signal; and providing the internal clock signal to the circuit in the integrated circuit if the frequency of the internal clock signal is greater than the frequency of the external clock signal by at least the frequency margin. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising programming phase change memory cells in an array of non-volatile memory cells in the integrated circuit with the mixed clock signal.