Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co., ltd. (20240097661). BI-DIRECTIONAL SCAN FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT AND METHOD simplified abstract

BI-DIRECTIONAL SCAN FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT AND METHOD

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co., ltd.

Inventor(s)

Huaixin Xian of Hsinchu (TW)

Tzu-Ying Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

Liu Han of Hsinchu (TW)

Jerry Chang Jui Kao of Hsinchu (TW)

Qingchao Meng of Hsinchu (TW)

Xiangdong Chen of Hsinchu (TW)

BI-DIRECTIONAL SCAN FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT AND METHOD - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240097661 titled 'BI-DIRECTIONAL SCAN FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT AND METHOD

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a scan flip-flop circuit that includes a selection circuit, flip-flop circuit, and drivers that respond to a scan direction signal to control the output signals.

• The circuit includes a selection circuit with input terminals connected to input/output nodes, a flip-flop circuit, and drivers connected to the flip-flop circuit and input/output nodes.
• The selection circuit and drivers receive a scan direction signal to determine the output signals.
• Depending on the logic level of the scan direction signal, the selection circuit responds to signals at the input terminals to control the output signals from the drivers.

Potential Applications of this Technology

This technology could be applied in integrated circuits, microprocessors, and other electronic devices that require efficient scan flip-flop circuits for testing and debugging purposes.

Problems Solved by this Technology

This technology solves the problem of efficiently controlling the output signals of a flip-flop circuit during testing and debugging processes in electronic devices.

Benefits of this Technology

The benefits of this technology include improved testing capabilities, increased efficiency in debugging processes, and enhanced reliability of electronic devices utilizing scan flip-flop circuits.

Potential Commercial Applications of this Technology

The potential commercial applications of this technology could be in the semiconductor industry, electronics manufacturing, and research and development sectors, where efficient testing and debugging processes are crucial for product quality.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be existing scan flip-flop circuits with similar selection circuit and driver configurations used in electronic devices for testing and debugging purposes.

How does this technology compare to existing scan flip-flop circuits in terms of efficiency and reliability?

This article does not provide a direct comparison with existing technologies in terms of efficiency and reliability.

What are the specific electronic devices or systems that could benefit the most from this technology?

The article does not specify the specific electronic devices or systems that could benefit the most from this technology.

Original Abstract Submitted

a scan flip-flop circuit includes a selection circuit including first and second input terminals coupled to first and second i/o nodes, a flip-flop circuit coupled to the selection circuit, a first driver coupled between the flip-flop circuit and the first i/o node, and a second driver coupled between the flip-flop circuit and the second i/o node. the selection circuit and drivers receive a scan direction signal. in response to a first logic level of the scan direction signal, the selection circuit responds to a first signal received at the first input terminal, and the second driver outputs a second signal responsive to a flip-flop circuit output signal. in response to a second logic level of the scan direction signal, the selection circuit responds to a third signal received at the second input terminal, and the first driver outputs a fourth signal responsive to the flip-flop circuit output signal.