Circuit and method for configurable impedance array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773550-B2
Application number	US-201514979156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A configurable impeder is provided. The configurable impeder comprises of multiple CESs. Each of the CESs is capable of being configured into one of a plurality of impedance states. Further, a programing circuit is provided. The programing circuit provides a plurality of programing signals in dependence of an input signal. Each programing signal configures an impedance state of a respective CES from the plurality of CESs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit comprising:
a plurality of Correlated Electron Switches (CESs) arranged to form a configurable impeder, wherein each CES is capable of being configured to one of a plurality of impedance states; and
at least one programing circuit configured to provide a plurality of programing signals each dependent on at least one input signal, wherein each programing signal configures an impedance state of a CES of the plurality of CESs.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programing circuit comprises a plurality of programing circuits, each programing circuit being configured to provide one of the plurality of programing signals.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of impedance states comprises a first impedance state and a second impedance state, and wherein each programing circuit comprises:
a first driving circuit to provide a first programing signal to configure the CES into the first impedance state; and
a second driving circuit to provide a second programing signal to configure the CES into the second impedance state,
wherein one of the first programing signal and the second programing signal is dependent on the at least one input signal.

4. The circuit of claim 2 , further comprising logic circuitry coupled to the programing circuit and arranged to enable the programming circuit to provide respective programing signals dependent on the at least one input signal.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to:
receive the least one input signal; and
provide at least one control signal to the at least one programing circuit dependent on the at least one input signal,
wherein the at least one programing circuit provides the plurality of programing signals dependent on the at least one control signal.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programing circuit provides the plurality of programing signals such that an impedance state of one CES of the plurality of CESs is configured while keeping an impedance state of at least one other CES of the plurality of CESs unchanged.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programing circuit provides the plurality of programing signals such that impedance states of two or more CESs of the plurality of CESs are configured while keeping impedance states of remaining CESs of the plurality of CESs unchanged.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impedance states comprises at least a high impedance state and a low impedance state.

9. A method of configuring an impedance of a configurable impeder, the configurable impeder comprising a plurality of Correlated Electron Switches (CESs), the method comprising:
receiving at least one input signal;
determining one or more programming signals dependent on the at least one input signal, wherein at least one of the one or more programming signals configures an impedance state of one or more CESs of the plurality of CESs; and
applying the at least one of the one or more programming signals to one or more CESs of the plurality of CESs to configure an impedance state of at least one of the one or more CESs of the plurality of CESs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the at least one of the one or more programming signals to a CES of the one or more CESs of the plurality of the CESs comprises keeping an impedance state of at least one other CES of the plurality of CESs unchanged.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the at least one of the one or more programming signals to one or more CESs of the plurality of CESs comprises keeping impedance states of remaining CESs unchanged.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the at least one of the one or more programming signals comprises configuring at least one CES of the one or more CESs of the plurality of CESs into one of a plurality of impedance states.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of impedances states comprises a high impedance state and a low impedance state.

14. A digital to analog converter (DAC) circuit comprising:
a plurality of data inputs configured to receive a plurality of digital input signals;
a plurality of Correlated Electron Switches (CESs), each CES of the plurality of CESs being configurable in one impedance state of a plurality of impedance states dependent on the plurality of digital input signals; and
at least one output configured to output one or more analog output signals, at least one of the one or more analog output signals being dependent upon impedance states of the plurality of CESs.

15. The DAC circuit of claim 14 , further comprising a control circuit configured to:
receive at least one input signal, wherein the at least one input signal is a write signal;
provide a plurality of programing signals to the plurality of CESs dependent on the plurality of digital input signals, each programing signal configuring the impedance state of a CES of the plurality of CESs.

16. The DAC circuit of claim 14 , further comprising a control circuit configured to:
receive at least one input signal, wherein the at least one input signal is a read signal; and
provide a reference signal to the plurality of CESs to output the at least one of the one or more analog output signals.

17. The DAC circuit of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of impedance states comprises at least a low impedance state and a high impedance state.

Assignees

• Advanced Risc Mach Ltd

Inventors

• Bhavnagarwala Azeez Jennudin
• Chandra Vikas
• Cline Brian Tracy

Classifications

• G11C11/38

  using tunnel diodes · CPC title

• H03M1/00

  Analogue/digital conversion; Digital/analogue conversion (conversion of analogue values to or from differential modulation H03M3/00) · CPC title

• G11C13/004

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C17/12

  using field-effect devices · CPC title

• G11C13/0069 Primary

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title