Circuit and method for an integrated level shifting latch
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit (IC) having a core section and an input/output (I/O) section, said IC comprising:
- a clocked differential level shifter, wherein said differential level shifter receives differential data at a core voltage level and shifts the differential data from the core voltage level to an I/O voltage level to provide a differential data output at said I/O voltage level; and
a clocked latch coupled an output of said level shifter, wherein said latch captures said data at said I/O voltage level.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit (IC) comprising an integrated level shifting latch for I/O. The level shift in the IC I/O section may be clocked. In addition, a latch may be moved from the core section to the I/O section of the device, and thus the incoming clock may remain in the external voltage domain to clock the latch along with the level shift. The level shift and latch may be clocked on opposite phases of the clock. Preferably, the level shift and latch may operate differentially on the data signal. Both setup and clock-to-Q times are significantly reduced with respect to prior art devices, allowing higher speed industry specifications may be met.
93 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit (IC) having a core section and an input/output (I/O) section, said IC comprising:
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a clocked differential level shifter, wherein said differential level shifter receives differential data at a core voltage level and shifts the differential data from the core voltage level to an I/O voltage level to provide a differential data output at said I/O voltage level; and
a clocked latch coupled an output of said level shifter, wherein said latch captures said data at said I/O voltage level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of providing data at an output of an integrated circuit (IC), said IC comprising a core section having a core voltage level and an I/O section having an I/O voltage level, said method comprising:
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level shifting said data differentially from said core voltage level to said I/O voltage level synchronous to an external clock; and
latching said data at said I/O voltage level synchronous to said external clock. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An integrated circuit (IC) having a core section and an input/output (I/O) section, said IC comprising:
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a clocked level shifter, wherein said level shifter shifts data from a core voltage level to an I/O voltage level, and further wherein said level shifter comprises I/O voltage level transistors coupled to core voltage level transistors, wherein gates of said I/O voltage level transistors are coupled to a clock, and wherein gates of said core voltage level transistors are coupled to said core voltage level; and
a clocked latch coupled an output of said level shifter, wherein said latch captures said data at said I/O voltage level.
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Specification