Area efficient, sequential gray code to thermometer code decoder
US6617986B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 2001 |
| Grant date | Sep 9, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 11, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M7/165
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A Sequential Gray Code to Thermometer Code decoder circuit adapted for area efficient use at each pad of an integrated circuit chip for incrementally adjusting a digitally adjustable resistance for continuous or periodic adjustment of on-chip terminations. The sequential decoder for decoding a Gray code count to a T-bit Thermometer code count is constructed of a plurality (T) of cascaded decoder cells, each cell sensing the state of only one bit of the Gray code count. The decoder cells are cascaded to from decoding-latching stages each stage responsive to an individual one of single-bit changes between consecutive counts in the Gray code. Each stage contains a decoding-latching circuit adapted to detecting and latching the occurrence of one single-bit change in the Gray code.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.