Hierarchial clock distribution system and method
US5686845A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 11, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microelectronic circuit includes a plurality of circuitry blocks and sub-blocks, a clock driver, an electrical interconnect that directly connects the clock driver to the sub-blocks, and balanced clock-tree distribution systems provided between the electrical interconnect and circuitry in the sub-blocks respectively. A method of producing a hierarchial clock distribution system for the circuit includes determining clock skews between the clock driver and the sub-blocks respectively. Delay buffers are selected from a predetermined set of delay buffers having the same physical size and different delays, with the delay buffers being selected to provide equal clock skews between the clock driver and the distribution systems respectively. Each delay buffer includes a delay line, and a number of loading elements that are connected to the delay line, with the number of loading elements being selected to provide the required clock delay for the respective sub-block.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.