Write circuit for CMOS latch and memory systems
US5298816A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 1993 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K3/356156
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A write assist circuit for CMOS inverter-type memory cells and latches having means for choking current flow from a voltage level source to power supply terminals of a group of such memory cells or latches during a data loading or write cycle. The write assist circuit has a pair of pass transistors that respectively connect to one or two voltage level sources. In one embodiment, both pass transistors connect in parallel to a single voltage level source, one transistor always active being of low conductance, the other transistor of normal conductance being turned off by a write enable signal. In another embodiment, both pass transistors are of normal conductance but are respectively enabled and disabled by a write enable signal and are connected to different voltage level sources so as to supply a lower power supply voltage to the CMOS inverter-type memory cells or latches during a write cycle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.