Integrated circuit (IC) package with a microcontroller having an n-bit bus and up to n-pins coupled to the microcontroller
US6483183B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 8, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C5/066
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An Integrated Circuit (IC) package is disclosed comprising an IC chip with a microcontroller therein having an n-bit data bus, and up to n pins electrically coupled to the microcontroller. The IC package also includes a control register coupled to the microcontroller for receiving enable and disable signals from the microcontroller. One or more of the pins have one or more functional block associated thereto. Each functional block defines a specified function for its corresponding pin. Thus, each pin having a plurality of corresponding functional blocks has a number of potential functions equal to the number of corresponding functional blocks. The specific function for a given pin is selected by the enable signal from the control register which selects the appropriate functional block appropriate command from the microcontroller. By using pins with multiple functions, the instant invention permits an n-bit architecture microcontroller to use less than or equal to n pins.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.