US 11,921,651 B2
Interface module with low-latency communication of electrical signals between power domains
Mohammad Radfar, Aliso Viejo, CA (US); Scott David Kee, Aliso Viejo, CA (US); Jeffrey Michael Zachan, Aliso Viejo, CA (US); and Craig Petku, Aliso Viejo, CA (US)
Assigned to AyDeeKay LLC, Aliso Viejo, CA (US)
Filed by AyDeeKay LLC, Aliso Viejo, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/576,702.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/197,637, filed on Jun. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0391335 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 13/16 (2006.01); G06F 13/38 (2006.01); G06F 13/40 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 13/1673 (2013.01) [G06F 13/385 (2013.01); G06F 13/4059 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an interface module comprising:
a digital controller in a first power domain;
a first analog front end (AFE) circuit in a second power domain; and
up/down level shifters configured to communicate electrical signals that include a DC component from the first power domain to the second power domain, wherein, for electrical signals having an allowed latency exceeding a predefined value, the up/down level shifters are configured to use level-shifted electrical signals to drive a message between the first power domain and the second power domain and to update state information, and
wherein the communication of the electrical signals from the first power domain to the second power domain by a given level shifter in the up/down level shifters comprises transforming a single-ended electrical signal into a differential electrical signal, which is received differentially across the power-domain boundary between the first power domain and the second power domain and is then converted back to a single-ended electrical signal.