Low power combinational logic circuit
First Claim
1. A combinational logic circuit having at least one primary input terminal and at least one primary output terminal, comprising:
- a plurality of first gates each of which has input and output nodes and is driven with a first operating voltage; and
a plurality of second gates each of which has input an output nodes and is driven with a second operating voltage which is lower than said first operating voltage,wherein any one of the output nodes of said second gates is connected only to either one of the input nodes of said second gates or one of said primary output terminals but not to any one of the input nodes of said first gates, andwherein a level converter circuit is provided between at least one of said primary output terminals and at least one of said second gates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The power consumption by a combinational logic circuit having primary input and output terminals is reduced. The constituent gates of the combinational logic are clustered in terms of the operating voltage levels thereof. First, the gates driven with the highest operating voltage are clustered just adjacent to the primary input terminals. Next, the gates driven with the next higher voltage are clustered adjacent to the primary input terminals only through the gates driven with the highest voltage, followed by repetition of the same clustering procedure in the order of the operating voltage level. Finally, the gates driven with the lowest operating voltage are clustered Just adjacent to the primary output terminals.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A combinational logic circuit having at least one primary input terminal and at least one primary output terminal, comprising:
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a plurality of first gates each of which has input and output nodes and is driven with a first operating voltage; and a plurality of second gates each of which has input an output nodes and is driven with a second operating voltage which is lower than said first operating voltage, wherein any one of the output nodes of said second gates is connected only to either one of the input nodes of said second gates or one of said primary output terminals but not to any one of the input nodes of said first gates, and wherein a level converter circuit is provided between at least one of said primary output terminals and at least one of said second gates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A combinational logic circuit having at least one primary input terminal and at least one primary output terminal, comprising:
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a plurality of first gates each of which has input and output nodes and is driven with a first operating voltage; a plurality of second gates each of which has input and output nodes and is driven with a second operating voltage which is lower than said first operating voltage; and a plurality of third gates each of which has input and output nodes and is driven with a third operating voltage which is lower than said first operating voltage and higher than said second operating voltage, wherein any one of the output nodes of said second gates is connected only to either one of the input nodes of said second gates or one of said primary output terminals but not to any one of the input nodes of said first gates, and wherein the input node of any one of said third gates is connected only to either one of the output nodes of said first gates or one of said primary input terminals but not to any one of the input nodes of said first gates.
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Specification