VOLTAGE CONVERSION AND INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WITH STACKED VOLTAGE DOMAINS
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit (IC) system, comprising:
- a plurality of ICs configured in a stacked voltage domain arrangement with respect to an external power supply voltage such that a low side supply rail of at least one of the plurality of ICs is common with a high side supply rail of at least another of the plurality of the ICs;
a reversible voltage converter coupled to power rails of each of the plurality of ICs, the voltage converter configured for stabilizing individual voltage domains corresponding to each IC; and
one or more data voltage level shifters configured to facilitate data communication between ICs operating in different voltage domains, wherein an input signal of a given logic state corresponding to one voltage in a first voltage domain is shifted to an output signal of the same logic state at another voltage in a second voltage domain.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit (IC) system includes a plurality of ICs configured in a stacked voltage domain arrangement such that a low side supply rail of at least one of ICs is common with a high side supply rail of at least another of the ICs; a reversible voltage converter coupled to power rails of each of the plurality of ICs, the reversible voltage converter configured for stabilizing individual voltage domains corresponding to each IC; and one or more data voltage level shifters configured to facilitate data communication between ICs operating in different voltage domains, wherein an input signal of a given logic state corresponding to one voltage in a first voltage domain is shifted to an output signal of the same logic state at another voltage in a second voltage domain.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit (IC) system, comprising:
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a plurality of ICs configured in a stacked voltage domain arrangement with respect to an external power supply voltage such that a low side supply rail of at least one of the plurality of ICs is common with a high side supply rail of at least another of the plurality of the ICs; a reversible voltage converter coupled to power rails of each of the plurality of ICs, the voltage converter configured for stabilizing individual voltage domains corresponding to each IC; and one or more data voltage level shifters configured to facilitate data communication between ICs operating in different voltage domains, wherein an input signal of a given logic state corresponding to one voltage in a first voltage domain is shifted to an output signal of the same logic state at another voltage in a second voltage domain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data voltage level shifting apparatus, comprising:
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an inverter that receives an input signal of a given logic state, the input signal originating from a first integrated circuit device operating in a first voltage domain; a cross-coupled latch device that produces an output signal of the same logic state, the output signal for use by a second integrated circuit device operating in a second voltage domain; and a capacitor that dynamically couples an inverted value of the input signal to a first node of the latch device, such that a second, complementary node of the latch device corresponds to shifted output data for use in the second voltage domain. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A reversible, switched capacitor voltage conversion apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of individual unit cells coupled to one another in stages, with each unit cell comprising multiple sets of inverter devices arranged in a stacked configuration, such that each set of inverter devices operates in separate voltage domains wherein outputs of inverter devices in adjacent voltage domains are capacitively coupled to one another; and wherein outputs of at least one of the plurality of individual unit cells serve as corresponding inputs for at least another one of the plurality of individual unit cells. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of regulating current, power and voltage levels of an integrated circuit (IC) system, the method comprising:
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configuring a plurality of ICs in a stacked voltage domain arrangement with respect to an external power supply voltage such that a low side supply rail of at least one of the plurality of ICs is common with a high side supply rail of at least another of the plurality of the ICs; coupling a reversible voltage converter to power rails of each of the plurality of ICs, the voltage converter configured for stabilizing individual voltage domains corresponding to each IC; and setting a clock frequency of the reversible voltage converter so as to selectively operate in the IC system in at least, other than a first power mode in which each of the plurality of ICs utilize substantially the same current;
a second power mode in which each of the plurality of ICs operate at substantially the same voltage, and a third power mode in which the plurality of ICs dissipate substantially the same amount of power. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of implementing data voltage level shifting between integrated circuit devices, the method comprising:
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coupling an input signal of a given logic state to an inverter operating in a first voltage domain, the input signal originating from a first integrated circuit device operating in the first voltage domain; generating an output signal of the same logic state from a cross-coupled latch device operating in a second voltage domain, the output signal for use by a second integrated circuit device operating in the second voltage domain; and dynamically coupling an inverted value of the input signal to a first node of the latch device through a capacitor, such that a second, complementary node of the latch device corresponds to shifted output data for use in the second voltage domain.
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Specification