Single event upset hardened latch
US6696873B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 24, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K3/012
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A hardened latch capable of providing protection against single event upsets (SEUs) is disclosed. The hardened latch includes a first latch and a second latch that mirrors a subset of gates of the first latch. The second latch is inserted in the feedback path of the keeper circuit of the first latch and is cross-coupled with the gates of the keeper circuit of the first latch. The latch is hardened against single event upsets and an arbitrary number of successive SEUs attacking a single node, provided that the time between successive SEUs is larger than the recovery time of the latch. An alternate embodiment of the hardened latch includes a split buffer output. This embodiment is capable of reducing the propagation of erroneous transients. Another alternate embodiment of the hardened latch includes a Miller C buffer output. This embodiment is capable of reducing the propagation of erroneous transients below the level achievable in a hardened latch employing a split buffer output.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.