Universal CMOS single input, low swing sense amplifier without reference voltage
US6414520B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 1, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R19/0084
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sense amplifier for sensing an input voltage level of a data signal. Such a sense amplifier pre-charges, and subsequently discharges, a pair of nodes through a respective pair of discharge paths. Each of those discharge paths is capable of performing the discharge operation at a rate that is related to either a system voltage supply or an input logic level of the data signal. Because the discharge path that is associated with the data signal includes a greater amount of conductance, it can perform the discharge operation at a faster rate, even where the input logic level does not exceed the voltage of the system voltage supply. A determination is made as to which of the discharge is the faster and, responsively, a rail-to-rail output signal having the same polarity as the data signal, is generated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.