Patent · US Active

Latch to block short path violation

US7793082B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
0References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 2006
Grant dateSep 7, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 1, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C19/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes processing pipeline stages formed of an input register, processing circuit and an output register. The output register employs speculative sampling and uses a subsequent speculation period during which any change in its input is detected and used to indicate a speculation error. In order to reduce the chances of a race condition giving rise to a false positive detection of a speculation error due to a too rapid signal propagation through the processing circuitry a transparent latch is disposed at the approximate midpoint, measured in terms of propagation delay, within the processing circuitry. This transparent latch is non-transmissive during the speculation period of the output register so as to prevent any new signal propagating from the input register during the speculation period from reaching the output register.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.