Distribution of signals throughout a spine of an integrated circuit
US7292062B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 2005 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K5/135
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for distributing signals throughout an integrated circuit (IC). The system comprises a transmitter unit and a plurality of receiver units. The transmitter unit combines a plurality of signals into a serial signal stream and couples the serial signal stream to a conductor for distribution to a plurality of destinations in the IC. There is a receiver unit at each of the plurality of destinations and connected to the conductor. Each receiver unit extracts one of the plurality of signals from the serial signal stream received on the conductor. The transmitter unit comprises a multiplexer circuit and a counter circuit and time multiplexes the plurality of signals to form a serial signal stream, wherein a signal is selected for a time slot based on a count value of the counter circuit. The counter signal is also supplied to each receiver unit, which uses the counter signal to determine when to latch a signal from the serial signal stream.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.