Patent · US Expired

Start-up circuit for write selects and equilibrates

US6084454A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
6References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 26, 1998
Grant dateJul 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/223
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Some logic circuits preferentially reside in a particular state. Advantages are gained by a circuit that forces the circuit to the preferential state but allows the preferred state to be overridden. A node in the logic circuit is driven to a particular state, in one embodiment, by a pull-up transistor connected to a pull-down transistor that respectively drive the node to a high state and a low state. A keeper circuit is connected to the node and drives the node to the preferred state unless overpowered by the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor. The keeper circuit drives the node using a transistor that is weaker than the pull-up transistor and weaker than the pull-down transistor. A startup-circuit is connected to the node and drives the node to the preferred state when the node powers-up in the nonpreferred state. The start-up circuit drives the node using a transistor that is weaker than the keeper circuit transistor.

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