US 9,520,878 B1 · Methods and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a single direction using bidirectional driver circuits

Abstract

An integrated circuit may include a first logic region having a first bidirectional driver circuit and a second logic region having a logic circuit and a second bidirectional circuit. The first bidirectional driver circuit may be coupled to the second bidirectional driver circuit via a conductive path. The second bidirectional circuit may receive a dynamic control signal from the logic circuit to selectively transmit a signal to the first bidirectional driver circuit based on the dynamic control signal. The first logic region further includes an additional logic circuit. The additional logic circuit may provide an additional dynamic control signal to the first bidirectional driver circuit to selectively transmit an additional signal to the second bidirectional driver circuit over the conductive path. To prevent current contention, only one bidirectional driver circuit may be activated to drive the conductive path at a given time.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A logic region on an integrated circuit, comprising:

a bidirectional circuit comprising a first driver circuit and a second driver circuit that is cross-coupled with the first driver circuit;
and
a logic circuit coupled to the bidirectional circuit that receives a control signal and an input bit, wherein the logic circuit generates a dynamic control signal based on the control signal and the input bit that controls a signal output from the bidirectional circuit in a single direction with respect to the bidirectional circuit, and wherein the logic circuit comprises:
a first logic gate coupled to the first driver circuit that receives the control signal and the input bit;
and
a second logic gate coupled to the second driver circuit that receives the control signal and an additional input bit.

3 more elements

A method of operating an integrated circuit having a first logic region with a first bidirectional circuit that is coupled to a second bidirectional circuit of a second logic region on the integrated circuit, the method comprising:

with a first control gate circuit coupled to the first bidirectional circuit, dynamically controlling the first bidirectional circuit to transmit a signal to the second logic region, wherein the first control gate circuit comprises a logic NAND gate having an output coupled to the first bidirectional circuit;
with a second control gate circuit coupled to the second bidirectional circuit, dynamically controlling the second bidirectional circuit while the first bidirectional circuit transmits the signal to the second logic region, wherein the first and second logic regions are both formed on the integrated circuit and the first and second bidirectional circuits are coupled together through a conductive path, and wherein the second control gate circuit comprises a logic NOR gate having an output coupled to the second bidirectional circuit;
and
with the first and second control gate circuits, controlling the first and second bidirectional circuits so that only a single one of the first and second bidirectional circuits drives the conductive path at a given time.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a single direction using bidirectional driver circuits

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a single direction using bidirectional driver circuits

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23