Patent · US Expired

Switchable clock circuit for microprocessors to thereby save power

US5254888A · kind A · utility

95Cited by
5References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 1992
Grant dateOct 19, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Power dissipation of a CMOS circuit such as a microprocessor is reduced by dynamically slowing down the microprocessor clock during selected system operations such as hold, wait, or AT peripheral bus access cycles. The microprocessor clock is slowed to its minimum allowable frequency with precise synchronous control to maintain the accuracy of high frequency clock edges and to prevent glitches or substandard pulse widths.

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