Single ended sensing circuits for signal lines

摘要

Disclosed are single-ended sensing circuits. Each of the sensing circuits comprises at least a sense amplifier connected to a sense node, an isolation field effect transistor (FET) connected in series between the sense node and a signal line node, and a pre-charged device connected to the sense node. In order to achieve a relatively fast pre-charge of both the sense and signal line nodes and to also achieve a relatively fast and accurate sense of the sense node, the single-ended circuits further incorporate a variable reference voltage generator connected to the gate of the isolation FET for selectively applying different reference voltages to the gate during pre-charging and sensing operations, respectively, and/or a second pre-charge device connected to the signal line node for facilitating pre-charging of that signal line node.

主权项

1. A sensing circuit comprising:
a first node; a second node electrically connected to a signal line; an isolation field effect transistor comprising a source electrically connected to said second node, a drain electrically connected to said first node, and a gate; a variable reference voltage generator electrically connected to said gate; a pre-charge device electrically connected to said first node; and a sense amplifier comprising:
an input receiving an input signal from said first node; andan output outputting an output signal, said variable reference voltage generator applying a first reference voltage to said gate and said pre-charge device turning on, during a pre-charging mode, such that said first node is pre-charged to a first pre-charge voltage, said second node is pre-charged to a second pre-charge voltage that is lower than said first pre-charge voltage, said input signal becomes a HIGH input signal and said output signal becomes a LOW output signal, and said variable reference voltage generator applying a second reference voltage that is less than said first reference voltage to said gate, during a sensing mode, such that, upon sensing a voltage decrease at said first node, said sense amplifier switches said LOW output signal to a HIGH output signal.