Real-time clock with extendable memory

• US 5,678,019 A
• Filed: 02/05/1993
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dallas Semiconductor Corporation (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dallas Semiconductor Corporation (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Podkowa, William J., Bankes, Douglas Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US08/013,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 395/425, 395/164-166, 395/845, 395/853, 395/854, 395/401, 395/405, 395/412, 395/550, 345/200, 345/201, 365/189.01, 365/189.02, 365/189.04, 365/189.08, 365/189.05, 365/230.01, 365/230.02, 365/230.03, 365/230.06, 365/230.08, 368/46, 368/73, 368/74, 368/49, 368/80, 377/20, 377/26
• US Class Current: 711/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0623 for memory modules

Abstract

A real time clock plus user memory and extra memory integrated in a single circuit with access to the extra memory either by direct addressing or by providing the address as data to specified addresses in the user memory. Further, the user memory has two banks with the same addresses, and bank selection derives from a bit in another portion of the user memory.

Claims

1. A timekeeping system embedded on a single integrated circuit, comprising:

(a) a first plurality of memory cells, said first plurality, of memory cells further comprising at least one subplurality of memory cells, each of said at least one subplurality of memory cells having a corresponding first address, said at least one subplurality, of memory cells being addressable with a first address bus, said first address bus having a first width;

(b) a second plurality of memory cells, each of said second plurality of memory cells having a corresponding second address, said second plurality of memory cells being addressable with a second address bus, said second address bus having a second width;

(c) a first address decoder operably coupled to said first plurality of memory, cells, said first address decoder for decoding said first address;

(d) a second address decoder operably coupled to said second plurality of memory cells, said second address decoder for decoding said second address;

(e) a data bus electrically connected to said first plurality of memory cells and to said second plurality of memory cells;

(f) wherein when said first address on said first address bus causes said first address decoder to couple directly said data bus to said second address decoder, at least one data value stored in said first subplurality of memory cells translates to said second address for said second plurality of memory cells.

2. The timekeeping system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said data bus carries a data value, and

(b) said first address and said second address are multiplexed with said data value on said data bus.

3. The timekeeping system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of memory cells is organized into a first array and said second plurality of memory cells is organized into a second array.

4. The timekeeping system of claim 1, further comprising

(a) a power node which can he electrically coupled to a power source;

(b) an oscillator node which can be electrically coupled to an oscillator;

(c) at least one input node and at least one output node;

(d) timekeeping circuitry electrically coupled to said at least one input node, said at least one output node, to said power node, and to said oscillator node, said timekeeping circuitry receiving oscillations via said oscillator node and power from said power node time and in response to control signals from said at least one input node interprets said oscillations to keep time and provide time data to said at least one output node; and

further wherein said first plurality of memory cells stores said time data and other data received via said at least one output node.

5. A timekeeping system embedded on a single integrated circuit, comprising:

(a) a power node, said power node being electrically coupled to a power source;

(b) an oscillator node, said oscillator node being electrically coupled to an oscillator;

(c) at least one input node and at least one output node;

(d) timekeeping circuitry electrically coupled to said at least one input node, to said at least one output node, to said power node, and to said oscillator node, said timekeeping circuitry receiving oscillations via said oscillator node and power from said power node, and in response to control signals from said at least one input node, translating said oscillations into time data, and further, providing said time data to said at least one output node;

(e) a memory for storing said time data and other data received via said at least one output node, said memory organized into a first plurality of memory cells and a second plurality of memory cells, said first plurality of memory cells further comprising at least one subplurality of memory cells, each of said first subplurality of memory cells having a corresponding first address and each of said second plurality of memory cells having a corresponding second address;

(f) a first address decoder, said first address decoder for decoding said first address, said first address being asserted on a first address bus, said first address bus having a first width;

(g) a second address decoder, said second address decoder for decoding said second address, said second address being asserted on a second address bus, said first address bus having a second width;

(h) a data bus electrically coupled to said first plurality of memory cells and to said second plurality of memory cells;

(i) wherein when said first address on said first address bus causes said first address decoder to operably couple said data bus to said second address decoder, at least one data value stored in said first subplurality of memory cells translates to said second address for said second plurality of memory cells.