CMOS driver circuit
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A CMOS driver circuit, comprising:
- means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts;
means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts,wherein said received signal is a pair of differential signals, and said outputted corresponding signal is a pair of differential signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A clock distribution system for a data processing system is implemented in CMOS technology wherein a full-swing differential clock signal is converted to a low-voltage swing differential clock signal by a driver'"'"'s circuit and then returned to a full-swing differential clock signal at each receiver circuit.
34 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A CMOS driver circuit, comprising:
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means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts, wherein said received signal is a pair of differential signals, and said outputted corresponding signal is a pair of differential signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for distributing a clock signal, said system comprising:
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a CMOS driver circuit comprising means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts;
means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; anda CMOS receiver circuit comprising means for receiving said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts;
means for converting said received corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts to a second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; and
means for outputting said second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts,wherein said converting means further comprises a means for switching said second corresponding signal between first and second voltage references in relation to switching of said received corresponding signal.
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11. A system for distributing a clock signal, said system comprising:
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a CMOS driver circuit comprising means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts;
means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; anda CMOS receiver circuit comprising means for receiving said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts;
means for converting said received corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts to a second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; and
means for outputting said second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts,wherein said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts is a pair of differential signals, and said outputted corresponding signal is a pair of differential signals, and said second corresponding signal is a pair of differential signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A data processing system comprising a processor, a memory device, a bus coupling said processor to said memory device, and a system for distributing a clock signal to portions of said processor and said memory device, said clock distributing system comprising:
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a CMOS driver circuit comprising means for receiving a pair of differential signals having a voltage swing greater than two volts, means for transforming said received pair of differential signals having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing of less than two volts; anda CMOS receiver circuit comprising means for receiving said corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing of less than two volts;
means for converting said received corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing of less than two volts to a second corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing greater than two volts; and
means for outputting said second corresponding pair of differential signals having a voltage swing greater than two volts. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A CMOS driver circuit, comprising:
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means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than 1.3 volts; means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than 1.3 volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than or equal to 1.3 volts; and means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than or equal to 1.3 volts, wherein said received signal is a pair of differential signals, and said outputted corresponding signal is a pair of differential signals.
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22. A CMOS driver circuit, comprising:
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means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts, wherein said transforming means further comprises a means for switching said corresponding signal between first and second voltage references in relation to switching of said received signal.
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23. A CMOS driver circuit, comprising:
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means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts, wherein said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts is a 200 or 400 MHz clock signal.
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24. A system for distributing a clock signal, said system comprising:
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a CMOS driver circuit comprising means for receiving said clock signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts;
means for transforming said received clock signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; anda CMOS receiver circuit comprising means for receiving said corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts;
means for converting said received corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts to a second corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; and
means for outputting said second corresponding clock signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts.
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25. A system for distributing a clock signal, said system comprising:
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a CMOS driver circuit comprising means for receiving a signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts;
means for transforming said received signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts to a corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; and
means for outputting said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts; anda CMOS receiver circuit comprising means for receiving said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts;
means for converting said received corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts to a second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts; and
means for outputting said second corresponding signal having a voltage swing greater than two volts,wherein said means for receiving said corresponding signal having a voltage swing of less than two volts includes a resistive component across said means for receiving said corresponding signal.
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Specification