Efficient method and resulting structure for integrated circuits with flexible I/O interface and power supply voltages
First Claim
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1. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
- a core region, an input pad, an output pad, peripheral circuitry, and a plurality of power supply lines, each one of said power supply lines being coupled to one of a plurality of power supply voltage levels V1, V2, V3 . . . Vm, one of said power supply lines being coupled to a power pad supplying any one of said plurality of power supply voltage levels;
an input circuit connected to a said plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said input pad, said input circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry; and
an output circuit connected to a of said plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said output pad, said output circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry;
wherein said input circuit is adapted to receive an input signal at one of a plurality of voltage signal levels from said input pad and said output circuit is adapted to transmit an output signal at one of a plurality of voltage signal levels at said output pad.
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Abstract
A semiconductor integrated circuit receives and transmits signals at more than one set of VH/VL voltage levels. The integrated circuit includes a core region, an input pad, an output pad, peripheral circuitry, and a plurality of power supply lines each at power supply voltage levels V1, V2, V3 . . . Vm. The integrated circuit also includes input circuitry and output circuitry each of which have buffers and translators. The availability of the power lines each at power supply voltage levels V1, V2, V3 . . . Vm and translators allows for the present circuit to transmit and receive various sets of input signals and output signals, all within the same integrated circuit.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
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a core region, an input pad, an output pad, peripheral circuitry, and a plurality of power supply lines, each one of said power supply lines being coupled to one of a plurality of power supply voltage levels V1, V2, V3 . . . Vm, one of said power supply lines being coupled to a power pad supplying any one of said plurality of power supply voltage levels; an input circuit connected to a said plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said input pad, said input circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry; and an output circuit connected to a of said plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said output pad, said output circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry; wherein said input circuit is adapted to receive an input signal at one of a plurality of voltage signal levels from said input pad and said output circuit is adapted to transmit an output signal at one of a plurality of voltage signal levels at said output pad. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a core region comprising a plurality of cells; a plurality of circuit element groups B1, B2, B3 . . . Bn each coupled to said core region, each of said circuit element groups comprising power lines supplying a plurality of voltages V1, V2, V3 . . . Vm; a power pad coupled to one of said power lines, said power pad supplying any one of said plurality of voltages; and a plurality of input/output pads coupled to each of said plurality of circuit element groups, said pads comprising an input pad and an output pad; wherein each of said circuit element groups comprising an output buffer, coupled to more than one of said power lines, to provide an output signal at said one of a plurality of signal levels to said output pad. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a core region, an input pad, an output pad, peripheral circuitry, and a plurality of power supply lines; an output circuit connected to a plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said output pad, said output circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry; and a first power pad connected to one of said plurality of power supply lines, said power pad supplying any one of a plurality of first power supply voltage levels V1, V2 . . . Vm (m>
1);wherein said output circuit transmits an output signal with reference to one of said plurality of first power supply voltage levels. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of supplying power to an integrated circuit device, said method comprising:
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providing a semiconductor integrated circuit, said semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a core region, an input pad, an output pad, peripheral circuitry, a plurality of power supply lines, an output circuit connected to a plurality of said power supply lines and coupled between said core region and said output pad, said output circuit being a portion of said peripheral circuitry; providing a first power pad connected to one of said plurality of power supply lines; supplying any one of a plurality of first power supply voltage levels V1, V2 . . . Vm (m>
1) to said first power pad;transmitting through said output circuit an output signal with reference to one of said plurality of first power supply voltage levels. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification