Pre-divider architecture for low power in a digital delay locked loop

Claim 2

A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit comprising: an input and an output; a delay chain circuit responsive to an input clock signal, said delay chain circuit generating an output clock signal selectively having an adjustable delay; a feedback loop circuit connected to and controlling said delay chain circuit; said feedback loop includes a phase detector for receiving said clock signals and comparing said input clock signal to a feedback clock signal from said output circuit; a reference loop circuit including a dummy divider circuit that connects said input clock signal to said phase detector; and a pre-divider circuit coupled between said input and said delay chain circuit adapted to alter the rate of said input clock signal based on a selectable mode function of said delay lock loop.

Claim 3

The circuit of claim 1 , wherein said selectable mode function comprises a switching function having a divider factor, wherein said pre-divider circuit is enabled when said divider factor is not equal to one, and said pre-divider circuit is disabled when said divider factor is equal to one.

Claim 4

The circuit of claim 1 , wherein said feedback loop circuit further includes a mimic circuit for modeling on-chip delay and a control circuit, both connected to said phase detector.

Claim 5

The circuit of claim 3 , wherein said feedback loop circuit further includes a post-divider circuit that provides said output signal to said control circuit and said mimic circuit.

Claim 6

The circuit of claim 1 , wherein said DLL is part of a semiconductor chip mounted on a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) board and obtains said input clock signal input data signal from said SDRAM board.

Claim 7

The circuit of claim 5 , wherein said SDRAM includes a power-down mode and wherein said DLL automatically shuts down a portion of said delay chain circuit to conserve power in said power-down mode.

Claim 8

A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit for a semiconductor chip, said circuit comprising: an input receiver of a system clock signal, which outputs a first clock signal derived from said system clock signal; a delay chain circuit which provides a delay adjusted clock signal; a pre-divider circuit coupled between said input receiver and said delay chain circuit, said pre-divider circuit being disabled when said latency adjusted clock signal requirement is at full rate output; an output circuit which receives said delay adjusted clock signal and outputs a latency adjusted clock signal based on said delay adjusted clock signal; a reference loop circuit including a dummy divider circuit that connects said input clock signal to said phase detector; and a feedback loop circuit coupled between said output circuit and said delay chain circuit, said feedback loop circuit including an on-chip delay mimic circuit modeled on-chip delay which outputs a feedback clock signal based on a phase detector circuit, and a control circuit which selectively controls a delay of said delay chain circuit based on a difference between said first clock signal and said feedback signal.

Claim 9

A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit for a semiconductor chip, said circuit comprising: an input receiver of a system clock signal, which outputs a first clock signal derived from said system clock signal; a delay chain circuit which provides a delay adjusted clock signal; a pre-divider circuit coupled between said input receiver and said delay chain circuit, said pre-divider circuit being disabled when said latency adjusted clock signal requirement is at full rate output; an output circuit which receives said delay adjusted clock signal and outputs a latency adjusted clock signal based on said delay adjusted clock signal; a reference loop circuit including a dummy divider circuit that connects said input clock signal to said phase detector; and a feedback loop circuit coupled between said output circuit and said delay chain circuit, said feedback loop circuit including an on-chip delay mimic circuit modeled on-chip delay which outputs a feedback clock signal based on a phase detector circuit, and a control circuit which selectively controls a delay of said delay chain circuit based on a difference between said first clock signal and said feedback signal.

Claim 10

The circuit of claim 7 , wherein said feedback loop circuit further includes a post-divider circuit connected to said output circuit adapted to alter said latency adjusted clock signal prior to input to said control circuit and to said mimic circuit.

Claim 11

The circuit of claim 7 , wherein said pre-divider circuit is controlled by a selectable function that comprises a switching function having a divider factor, wherein said pre-divider circuit is enabled when said divider factor is not equal to one, and said pre-divider circuit is disabled when said divider factor is equal to one.

Claim 12

The circuit of claim 7 , wherein said semiconductor chip is mounted on a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR-SDRAM) board and obtains said system clock signal from said DDR-SDRAM board.

Claim 13

The circuit of claim 10 , wherein said DDR-SDRAM includes a power-down mode and wherein said DLL automatically shuts down a portion of said delay chain circuit to conserve power in said power down mode.

Claim 14

A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit as part of a semiconductor chip mounted on a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR-SDRAM) board and obtains an input clock signal and an input data signal from said DDR-SDRAM board, said DLL circuit comprising; a delay chain circuit responsive to an input clock signal, said delay chain circuit generating an output clock signal selectively having an adjustable delay; a feedback loop circuit connected to and controlling said delay chain circuit, said feedback loop circuit includes a phase detector for receiving said clock signals and comparing said input clock signal to a feedback clock signal from an output circuit and said feedback loop circuit further includes a dummy divider circuit that connects said input clock signal to said phase detector; and a pre-divider circuit responsive to said input signal adapted to alter the rate at which said input clock signal is applied to said delay chain based on a selectable function of said output clock signal.

Claim 15

A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit as part of a semiconductor chip mounted on a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR-SDRAM) board and obtains an input clock signal and an input data signal from said DDR-SDRAM board, said DLL circuit comprising; a delay chain circuit responsive to an input clock signal, said delay chain circuit generating an output clock signal selectively having an adjustable delay; a feedback loop circuit connected to and controlling said delay chain circuit, said feedback loop circuit includes a phase detector for receiving said clock signals and comparing said input clock signal to a feedback clock signal from an output circuit and said feedback loop circuit further includes a dummy divider circuit that connects said input clock signal to said phase detector; and a pre-divider circuit responsive to said input signal adapted to alter the rate at which said input clock signal is applied to said delay chain based on a selectable function of said output clock signal.

Claim 16

The DLL circuit of claim 12 , wherein said selectable function comprises a switching function having a divider factor, wherein said pre-divider circuit is enabled when said divider factor is not equal to one, and said pre-divider circuit is disabled when said divider factor is equal to one.

Claim 17

The DLL circuit of claim 12 , wherein said feedback loop circuit further includes a mimic circuit for modeling on-chip delay and a control circuit, both connected to said phase detector.

Claim 18

The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said DDR-SDRAM includes a power-down mode and wherein said DLL circuit automatically shuts down a portion of said delay chain circuit to conserve power in said power-down mode.