MAINTAINING DATA COHERENCY IN MULTI-CLOCK SYSTEMS

• US 20090157761A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: YANAGIDA, Seiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/267 Reconfiguring circuits for testing, e.g. LSSD, partitioning

Abstract

A system comprises storage that includes first and second data. The system also comprises circuit logic coupled to the storage. The circuit logic receives a plurality of clock signals. As a result of receiving a signal, the circuit logic uses the plurality of clock signals to obtain the first and second data and to provide the first and second data to target logic coupled to the circuit logic. The system resets the circuit logic between providing the first data and providing the second data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

storage comprising first and second data; and

circuit logic coupled to the storage, said circuit logic receives a plurality of clock signals;

wherein, as a result of receiving a signal, the circuit logic uses the plurality of clock signals to obtain the first and second data and to provide the first and second data to target logic coupled to the circuit logic;

wherein the system resets said circuit logic between providing said first data and providing said second data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system resets said circuit logic prior to providing each of a plurality of data to the target logic.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system resets said circuit logic by initializing a plurality of flip-flops used to provide said first and second data to the target logic.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit logic uses Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) technology to communicate with the target logic.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said circuit logic comprises a first flip-flop (FF), a second FF, a third FF and a fourth FF, and wherein the first and second FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the third and fourth FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the first and second FFs operate using a different clock signal than that used by the third and fourth FFs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit logic comprises a plurality of FFs arranged in a loop.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit logic comprises an AND gate coupled to a first flip-flop (FF) receiving a first clock signal, the first FF coupled to second, third and fourth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the fourth FF coupled to another AND gate, said another AND gate coupled to a fifth FF, said fifth FF coupled to a different AND gate, said different AND gate and said third FF coupled to a sixth FF, the fifth and sixth FFs receiving said second clock signal, the sixth FF coupled to seventh, eighth and ninth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the eighth FF and the ninth FF coupled to a separate AND gate, said eighth FF coupled to said AND gate, said fifth FF and an input to the different AND gate used to capture said first and second data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said data includes system status information.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal from target logic;

in response to said first signal, using storage logic and a plurality of clock signals to obtain a first data and to provide said first data to the target logic;

receiving a second signal from the target logic;

in response to said second signal, using the storage logic and the plurality of clock signals to obtain a second data and to provide said second data to the target logic; and

resetting said storage logic in between providing said first data and obtaining said second data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein resetting the storage logic comprises initializing flip-flops.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising transferring said first and second data to the target logic using Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) technology.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein using the storage logic comprises using a storage logic that includes a plurality of flip-flops arranged in a loop.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein using the storage logic comprises using a storage logic that includes first, second, third and fourth flip-flops (FFs), and wherein the first and second FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the third and fourth FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the first and second FFs operate using a different clock signal than that used by the third and fourth FFs.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein using the storage logic comprises using a storage logic that includes an AND gate coupled to a first flip-flop (FF) receiving a first clock signal, the first FF coupled to second, third and fourth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the fourth FF coupled to another AND gate, said another AND gate coupled to a fifth FF, said fifth FF coupled to a different AND gate, said different AND gate and said third FF coupled to a sixth FF, the fifth and sixth FFs receiving said second clock signal, the sixth FF coupled to seventh, eighth and ninth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the eighth FF and the ninth FF coupled to a separate AND gate, said eighth FF coupled to said AND gate, said fifth FF and an input to the different AND gate used to capture said first and second data.

15. A system, comprising:

means for storing used to obtain and output multiple data to other logic external to the means for storing, each datum obtained and output as a result of receiving a different request signal from the other logic, the means for storing obtains and outputs said multiple data using multiple clock signals; and

means for resetting said means for storing, the means for resetting maintains data coherency in the means for storing by resetting the means for storing prior to obtainment and output of each datum.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for resetting resets the means for storing by initializing flip-flops in the means for storing.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for interfacing between the means for storing and the other logic, wherein said means for interfacing implements Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) technology.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for storing includes a plurality of flip-flops arranged in a loop.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for storing includes first, second, third and fourth flip-flops (FFs), and wherein the first and second FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the third and fourth FFs couple without an intervening FF, and wherein the first and second FFs operate using a different clock signal than that used by the third and fourth FFs.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for storing includes an AND gate coupled to a first flip-flop (FF) receiving a first clock signal, the first FF coupled to second, third and fourth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the fourth FF coupled to another AND gate, said another AND gate coupled to a fifth FF, said fifth FF coupled to a different AND gate, said different AND gate and said third FF coupled to a sixth FF, the fifth and sixth FFs receiving said second clock signal, the sixth FF coupled to seventh, eighth and ninth FFs receiving a second clock signal, the eighth FF and the ninth FF coupled to a separate AND gate, said eighth FF coupled to said AND gate, said fifth FF and an input to the different AND gate used to capture said first and second data.