Patent · US Expired

Programmable logic array using emitter-coupled logic

US4814646A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
4References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 22, 1985
Grant dateMar 21, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 22, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/17708
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An ECL Programmable Logic Array (PLA) having ECL voltage level compatible input and output leads, thereby providing a high-speed PLA. A unique programming means is provided which allows the ECL PLA to be programmed using TTL-compatible programming voltage levels, such as are provided by common and inexpensive prior art TTL PLA programmers. In another embodiment higher speed is achieved by the design of each sense amplifier using emitter function logic such that the sense transistor and load functions a cascode amplifier. In another embodiment a lower power PLA device is achieved by utilizing a switched current source pull down means for pulling down the rows of the PLA array. In another embodiment low power and user convenience is achieved by allowing each pair of output terminals to share a predefined set of product terms. In another embodiment of this invention, each output terminal is capable of having its output polarity programmed, in order to provide either a desired product term, or the inverse of that product term.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.