Redundancy structure and method for high-speed serial link
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an integrated circuit, an individual one of said integrated circuit having incorporated thereina plurality of output signal lines including a first output signal line;
a plurality of data transmitters including a plurality of default data transmitters and at least one redundancy data transmitter, each of said plurality of data transmitters being operable to transmit a data communication signal at a signal switching frequency above about 500 megahertz; and
a plurality of first connection elements each including a fuse having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state and an antifuse having an electrically high resistive state and an electrically conductive state, said fuse of a given first connection element of said plurality of first connection elements conductively connecting a first default data transmitter of said plurality of default data transmitters to said first output signal line when said fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said fuse of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first output signal line when said fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state, such that when said first default data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first default data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said fuse of said given first connection element over said first output signal line,said antifuse of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said redundancy data transmitter from said first output signal line when said antifuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state and said antifuse of said given first connection element conductively connecting said redundancy data transmitter to said first output signal line when said antifuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state, such that when said redundancy data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first redundancy data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said antifuse of said given first connection element onto said first output signal line.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit is provided having a plurality of data transmitters, including a plurality of default data transmitters for transmitting data from a plurality of data sources and at least one redundancy data transmitter. A plurality of connection elements are provided having a first, low impedance connecting state and having a second, high impedance, disconnecting state. The connection elements are operable to disconnect a failing data transmitter from a corresponding output signal line and to connect the redundancy data transmitter to that output signal line in place of the failing data transmitter. In one preferred form, the connection elements include a fuse and an antifuse. In another form, the connection elements include micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches. The connecting elements preferably present the low impedance connecting state at frequencies which include signal switching frequencies above about 500 MHz.
35 Citations
7 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
an integrated circuit, an individual one of said integrated circuit having incorporated therein a plurality of output signal lines including a first output signal line; a plurality of data transmitters including a plurality of default data transmitters and at least one redundancy data transmitter, each of said plurality of data transmitters being operable to transmit a data communication signal at a signal switching frequency above about 500 megahertz; and a plurality of first connection elements each including a fuse having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state and an antifuse having an electrically high resistive state and an electrically conductive state, said fuse of a given first connection element of said plurality of first connection elements conductively connecting a first default data transmitter of said plurality of default data transmitters to said first output signal line when said fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said fuse of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first output signal line when said fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state, such that when said first default data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first default data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said fuse of said given first connection element over said first output signal line, said antifuse of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said redundancy data transmitter from said first output signal line when said antifuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state and said antifuse of said given first connection element conductively connecting said redundancy data transmitter to said first output signal line when said antifuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state, such that when said redundancy data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first redundancy data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said antifuse of said given first connection element onto said first output signal line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus, comprising:
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an integrated circuit, an individual one of said integrated circuit having incorporated therein a plurality of output signal lines including a first output signal line; a plurality of input signal lines including a first input signal line; a plurality of data transmitters including a plurality of default data transmitters and at least one redundancy data transmitter, each of said plurality of data transmitters being operable to transmit a data communication signal at a signal switching frequency above about 500 megahertz; and a plurality of first connection elements each including a first fuse having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state, said first fuse of a given first connection element of said plurality of first connection elements conductively connecting a first default data transmitter of said plurality of default data transmitters to said first output signal line when said first fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said first fuse of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first output signal line when said first fuse of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state, such that when said first default data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first default data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said first fuse of said given first connection element onto said first output signal line; and a plurality of second connection elements each including a second fuse having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state, said second fuse of a given second connection element of said plurality of second connection elements conductively connecting said first default data transmitter to said first input signal line when said second fuse of said given second connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said second fuse of said given second connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first input signal line when said second fuse of said given second connection element is in said electrically high resistive state. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. An apparatus, comprising:
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an integrated circuit, an individual one of said integrated circuit having incorporated therein a plurality of output signal lines including a first output signal line; a plurality of input signal lines including a first input signal line; a plurality of data transmitters including a plurality of default data transmitters and at least one redundancy data transmitter, each of said plurality of data transmitters being operable to transmit a data communication signal at a signal switching frequency above about 500 megahertz; and a plurality of first connection elements each including a first MEM switch having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state, said first MEM switch of a given first connection element of said plurality of first connection elements conductively connecting a first default data transmitter of said plurality of default data transmitters to said first output signal line when said first MEM switch of said given first connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said first MEM switch of said given first connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first output signal line when said first MEM switch of said given first connection element is in said electrically high resistive state, such that when said first default data transmitter is connected to said first output signal line said first default data transmitter is operable to transmit said data communication signal through said MEM switch of said given first connection element onto said first output signal line; and a plurality of second connection elements each including a second MEM switch having an electrically conductive state and an electrically high resistive state, said second MEM switch of a given second connection element of said plurality of second connection elements conductively connecting said first default data transmitter to said first input signal line when said second MEM switch of said given second connection element is in said electrically conductive state and said second MEM switch of said given second connection element electrically disconnecting said first default data transmitter from said first input signal line when said second MEM switch of said given second connection element is in said electrically high resistive state. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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Specification