Programmable I/O cells with multiple drivers
US6239612A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 20, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 29, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 20, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/17788
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A programmable input/output cell (I/O cell) for use with integrated circuits, and in particular programmable logic devices, is presented comprising input receiver circuitry, output driver circuitry and programmable elements. The input receiver and output driver circuitry each include multiple receivers/drivers that provide an interface between the signaling level of the integrated circuit and at least two other signaling standards. The programmable elements may be programmed to select a different signaling standard for each I/O cell to operate at, if desired. For instance, adjacent I/O cells may be connected to two different bus structures that utilize different signaling levels. The invention enables one I/O cell to translate between the PLD signaling level and the first bus signaling level, while the second I/O cell translates between the integrated circuit signaling level and the second bus signaling level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.