Power-gating cell for virtual power rail control
US7276932B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 26, 2004 |
| Grant date | Oct 2, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 7, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/0016
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Virtual power-gated cells (VPC) are configured with control circuitry for buffering control signals and a power-gated block (PGB) comprising two or more NFETs for virtual ground rail nodes and PFETs for virtual positive rail nodes. Each VPC has a control voltage input, a control voltage output, a node coupled to a power supply voltage potential, and a virtual power-gated node that is coupled and decoupled from the power supply potential in response to logic states on the control input. The control signals are buffered by non-power-gated inverters before being applied to the input of a PGB. VPCs may propagate a control signal that is in phase with or inverted from a corresponding control signal at the control input. VPCs may be cascaded to create virtual power rails in chains and power grids. The control signals are latched at the cell boundaries or latched in response to a clock signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.