Repeater circuit with high performance repeater mode and normal repeater mode, wherein high performance repeater mode has fast reset capability

• US 7,592,839 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Funding LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Funding LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Masleid, Robert Paul, Dholabhai, Vatsal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US11/999,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 326/86, 326/23, 326/27, 326/83, 327/112, 327/108, 327/379
• US Class Current: 326/86
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/01721 by means of a pull-up or down element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018585 programmable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/242 with retiming

Abstract

Repeater circuit with high performance repeater mode and normal repeater mode, wherein high performance repeater mode has fast reset capability, is provided and described. In one embodiment, switches are set to a first switch position to operate the repeater circuit in the high performance repeater mode. In another embodiment, switches are set to a second switch position to operate the repeater circuit in the normal repeater mode.

Claims

1. A repeater circuit comprising:

a keeper circuit including an input and an output;

a rising edge drive circuit coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit;

a falling edge drive circuit coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit; and

a plurality of switches operable in a first position and operable in a second position, wherein said switches operated in said first position configure said keeper circuit, said rising edge drive circuit, and said falling edge drive circuit into a high performance repeater mode, and wherein said switches operated in said second position configure said keeper circuit, said rising edge drive circuit, and said falling edge drive circuit into a normal repeater mode.

2. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said rising edge drive circuit comprises:

a NAND gate including an output;

an output p-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NAND gate;

an upper delay circuit coupled to said output of said NAND gate; and

an upper half latch circuit coupled to said upper delay circuit and said NAND gate.

3. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said falling edge drive circuit comprises:

a NOR gate including an output;

an output n-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NOR gate;

a lower delay circuit coupled to said output of said NOR gate; and

a lower half latch circuit coupled to said lower delay circuit and said NOR gate.

4. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said keeper circuit comprises:

a first inverter, a second inverter, a third inverter, and a fourth inverter arranged in series.

5. A repeater circuit comprising:

an input node;

a keeper circuit including an input and an output;

a rising edge drive circuit coupled to said input node and coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit;

a falling edge drive circuit coupled to said input node and coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit, wherein a falling edge at said input node resets said rising edge drive circuit, and wherein a rising edge at said input node resets said falling edge drive circuit; and

a plurality of switches operable in a first position and operable in a second position, wherein said switches operated in said first position configure said keeper circuit, said rising edge drive circuit, and said falling edge drive circuit into a high performance repeater mode, and wherein said switches operated in said second position configure said keeper circuit, said rising edge drive circuit, and said falling edge drive circuit into a normal repeater mode.

6. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein said rising edge drive circuit comprises:

a NAND gate including an output;

an output p-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NAND gate;

an upper delay circuit coupled to said output of said NAND gate; and

an upper half latch circuit coupled to said upper delay circuit and said NAND gate.

7. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 6 wherein said upper delay circuit comprises a first long delay circuit and a first short delay circuit.

8. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein said falling edge drive circuit comprises:

a NOR gate including an output;

an output n-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NOR gate;

a lower delay circuit coupled to said output of said NOR gate; and

a lower half latch circuit coupled to said lower delay circuit and said NOR gate.

9. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 8 wherein said lower delay circuit comprises a second long delay circuit and a second short delay circuit.

10. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein said keeper circuit comprises:

a first inverter, a second inverter, a third inverter, and a fourth inverter arranged in series.

11. A repeater circuit comprising:

an input node; and

a plurality of switches operable in a first position and operable in a second position, wherein said switches operated in said first position enable a high performance repeater mode, and wherein said switches operated in said second position enable a normal repeater mode, and wherein said first and second positions of said switches are independent of value at said input node.

12. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a keeper circuit including an input and an output;

a rising edge drive circuit coupled to said input node and coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit; and

a falling edge drive circuit coupled to said input node and coupled to said input and said output of said keeper circuit, wherein a falling edge at said input node resets said rising edge drive circuit, and wherein a rising edge at said input node resets said falling edge drive circuit.

13. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 12 wherein said rising edge drive circuit comprises:

a NAND gate including an output;

an output p-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NAND gate;

an upper delay circuit coupled to said output of said NAND gate; and

an upper half latch circuit coupled to said upper delay circuit and said NAND gate.

14. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 13 wherein said upper delay circuit comprises a first long delay circuit and a first short delay circuit.

15. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 14 wherein said first long delay circuit comprises at least one inverter, and wherein said first short delay circuit comprises at least one inverter.

16. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 12 wherein said falling edge drive circuit comprises:

a NOR gate including an output;

an output n-type transistor device coupled to said output of said NOR gate;

a lower delay circuit coupled to said output of said NOR gate; and

a lower half latch circuit coupled to said lower delay circuit and said NOR gate.

17. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 16 wherein said lower delay circuit comprises a second long delay circuit and a second short delay circuit.

18. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 17 wherein said second long delay circuit comprises at least one inverter, and wherein said second short delay circuit comprises at least one inverter.

19. The repeater circuit as recited in claim 12 wherein said keeper circuit comprises:

a first inverter, a second inverter, a third inverter, and a fourth inverter arranged in series.