IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,160,238
Granted Patent B2
US 12,160,238 · App. 17/563,980 · Granted Dec 3, 2024

Low power single phase logic gate latch for clock-gating

Inventors: Nur Mohammad Baksh (Austin, TX); Deepesh John (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
H03K19/0963H03K3/012H03K19/018521
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,160,238
App. No.
17/563,980
Granted
Dec 3, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a low-power single-phase logic gate latch for clock-gating are disclosed. A latch circuit includes shared clocked transistors without including clock inverters. The shared clocked transistors include a P-type clocked transistor and an N-type clocked transistor, with the clock input coupled to the gate of the P-type clocked transistor and to the gate of the N-type clocked transistor. The P-type clocked transistor is coupled between first and second transistor stacks of the latch. The N-type clocked transistor is coupled to a source gate of a first stack N-type transistor gated by a data input and to a source gate of a second stack N-type transistor gated by the inverted data input. The latch has a lower clock pin capacitance than a traditional logic gate latch while also avoiding having clock inverters which reduces dynamic power consumption.

Claims (46)

1. A latch comprising:

a pair of cross-coupled transistor stacks comprising a first transistor stack and a second transistor stack;

a first clocked transistor coupled between the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack;

a second clocked transistor coupled to a common point of the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack;

a first input port configured to receive an enable signal; and

a clock port configured to receive an input clock signal, wherein the input clock signal is coupled to a gate of the first clocked transistor and to a gate of the second clocked transistor;

wherein the latch is configured to set an output data signal based on an input data signal and the input clock signal, wherein a value of the input data signal is based at least in part on a value of the enable signal.

2. The latch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a second input port configured to receive the input data signal, wherein the input data signal is coupled to the first transistor stack.

3. The latch as recited in claim 2 , wherein the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first P-type transistor of the first transistor stack, and wherein the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first N-type transistor of the first transistor stack.

4. The latch as recited in claim 2 , wherein an inverted version of the input data signal is coupled to the second transistor stack.

5. The latch as recited in claim 4 , the inverted version of the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first P-type transistor of the second transistor stack, and wherein the inverted version of the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first N-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

6. The latch as recited in claim 2 , wherein;

the first clocked transistor is a P-type transistor coupled between the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack; and

the second clocked transistor is a first N-type transistor coupled to a source gate of a second N-type transistor of the first transistor stack gated by the input data signal and to a source gate of a third N-type transistor of the second transistor stack gated by an inverted version of the input data signal.

7. The latch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a total of two clocked transistors that includes the first clocked transistor and the second clocked transistor.

8. A method comprising:

receiving an enable signal by an input port of a latch;

receiving, by a latch, an input data signal on gates of a first P-type transistor and a first N-type transistor of a first transistor stack, wherein a value of the input data signal is based at least in part on a value of the enable signal;

receiving an inverted version of the input data signal on gates of a second P-type transistor and a second N-type transistor of a second transistor stack, wherein the first transistor stack is cross-coupled to the second transistor stack;

receiving an input clock signal at a P-type clocked transistor coupled between the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack;

receiving the input clock signal at an N-type clocked transistor connected to a common point of the cross-coupled first and second transistor stacks; and

generating an output data signal by inverting an internal node of the cross-coupled first and second transistor stack.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the P-type clocked transistor is coupled to a drain port of the first P-type transistor of the first transistor stack.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the P-type clocked transistor is coupled to a drain port of the second P-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein a drain port of the N-type clocked transistor is coupled to:

a source port of the first N-type transistor of the first transistor stack; and

a source port of the second N-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising receiving the input clock signal by a total of two clocked transistors that includes the N-type clocked transistor and the P-type clocked transistor.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein a source port of the N-type clocked transistor is coupled to ground.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the drain port of the first P-type transistor of the first transistor stack is coupled to a third P-type transistor of the first transistor stack, and wherein the drain port of the second P-type transistor of the second transistor stack is coupled to a fourth P-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

15. An apparatus comprising:

an input port configured to receive an enable signal;

a data port configured to receive an input data signal, wherein a value of the input data signal is based at least in part on a value of the enable signal;

a clock port configured to receive a clock signal;

a first transistor stack connected between a supply voltage and ground;

a second transistor stack connected between the supply voltage and ground;

an N-type clocked transistor configured to receive the clock signal from the clock port, wherein the N-type clocked transistor is coupled to a common point of both the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack; and

a P-type clocked transistor configured to receive the clock signal from the clock port, wherein the P-type clocked transistor is coupled between the first transistor stack and the second transistor stack;

wherein the apparatus is configured to generate an output data signal from the input data signal based on a first inverter coupled to the first and second transistor stacks.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first P-type transistor of the first transistor stack.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a second inverter, wherein:

the input data signal is coupled to a gate of a first N-type transistor of the first transistor stack; and

the input data signal is coupled to the second inverter.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 15 , further comprising a total of two clocked transistors that includes the N-type clocked transistor and the P-type clocked transistor.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 , wherein an output of the second inverter is coupled to a gate of a second P-type transistor of the second transistor stack, and wherein the output of the second inverter is coupled to a gate of a second N-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19 , wherein the N-type clocked transistor is coupled to a source port of the first N-type transistor of the first transistor stack and to a source port of the second N-type transistor of the second transistor stack, and wherein the P-type clocked transistor is coupled between a drain port of the first P-type transistor of the first transistor stack and a drain port of the second P-type transistor of the second transistor stack.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2021
From: BAKSH, NUR MOHAMMAD; JOHN, DEEPESH
To: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058493/0981 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230208424A1 · Jun 29, 2023