International business machines corporation (20240162895). COMPETING PATH RING-OSCILLATOR FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF A LATCH TIMING WINDOW PARAMETERS simplified abstract

COMPETING PATH RING-OSCILLATOR FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF A LATCH TIMING WINDOW PARAMETERS

Organization Name

international business machines corporation

Inventor(s)

BLAINE JEFFREY Gross of ESSEX JUNCTION VT (US)

RICHARD ANDRE Wachnik of MOUNT KISCO NY (US)

LEON Sigal of MONSEY NY (US)

COMPETING PATH RING-OSCILLATOR FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF A LATCH TIMING WINDOW PARAMETERS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240162895 titled 'COMPETING PATH RING-OSCILLATOR FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF A LATCH TIMING WINDOW PARAMETERS

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a method for directly measuring the timing window of a latch using a ring oscillator circuit. Here are the key points explained in bullet form:

• Direct measurement of latch timing window using ring oscillator circuit
• Predetermined delay times provided to first latch via delay block
• Clock signal generated by first logic clock buffer in response to first signal
• Clock signal provided to clock input of first latch
• Determination of oscillating or non-oscillating state of ring oscillator circuit
• Timing window parameter for first latch determined based on delay times associated with oscillating state

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1. 1. 1. Potential Applications of this Technology

1. Integrated circuit design 2. Timing analysis in digital systems 3. Performance optimization in electronic devices

1. 1. 1. Problems Solved by this Technology

1. Accurate measurement of latch timing window 2. Improved reliability in digital circuits 3. Enhanced performance in electronic systems

1. 1. 1. Benefits of this Technology

1. Precise timing control in digital designs 2. Increased efficiency in circuit operation 3. Real-time monitoring of latch behavior

1. 1. 1. Potential Commercial Applications of this Technology
         1. Optimizing Latch Timing in Integrated Circuits for Enhanced Performance

1. 1. 1. Possible Prior Art

There may be prior art related to measuring latch timing windows using different techniques such as simulation-based methods or static timing analysis tools.

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1. 1. 1. Unanswered Questions

1. 1. 1. 1. How does this method compare to traditional static timing analysis tools in terms of accuracy and efficiency?

This article does not provide a direct comparison between the proposed method and traditional static timing analysis tools. Further research or experimentation may be needed to evaluate the performance of this new approach.

1. 1. 1. 1. Are there any limitations or constraints in implementing this direct measurement technique in large-scale integrated circuits?

The article does not address any potential limitations or challenges that may arise when implementing this direct measurement technique in complex integrated circuits. Additional studies or practical applications could shed light on these aspects.

Original Abstract Submitted

direct measurement of a latch timing window includes, for each of a plurality of predetermined delay times: providing a first signal to a data input of a first latch of a ring oscillator circuit via a delay block configured to delay the first signal by the predetermined delay time; providing the first signal to a first logic clock buffer (lcb); generating a clock signal by the first lcb responsive to receiving the first signal; providing the clock signal to a clock input of the first latch; and determining from an output of the ring oscillator circuit that the ring oscillator circuit is in either an oscillating state or a non-oscillating state. at least one timing window parameter for the first latch is determined based on one or more of the plurality of delay times that are associated with an oscillating state of the ring oscillator circuit.