Integrated circuits with variable signal line loading circuits and methods of operation thereof
US6239642A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 29, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08C19/10
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A variable loading circuit for controlling signal transmission on a signal line in an integrated circuit includes a capacitor. A loading control circuit is responsive to a control signal to variably couple the signal line and a signal node through the capacitor and thereby vary signal transmission time on the signal line. In embodiments of the present invention, the loading control circuit includes a series combination of a fuse and one or more switches. The one or more switches are responsive to respective control signals to variably couple the signal line to the signal node through the fuse and the capacitor. The variable loading circuits can be used to reduce skew among signals in systems where signal timing is critical. Related methods are also described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.