Patent ID: 6240034
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: G11C,H03K

Abstract:
A method for providing a signal indicating a state of a non-volatile programmable element interconnecting a first terminal and a terminal T1, the method comprising:supplying power to the first terminal to develop a non-ground voltage on the first terminal;controlling an impedance of a variable-impedance electrical path interconnecting the terminal T1 and a second terminal, wherein the controlling operation uses an inverter whose input is connected to the terminal T1 and whose output is connected to a control terminal of the electrical path, wherein the inverter has a pull-up device and a pull-down device, at least one of the pull-up and pull-down devices is connected to the inverter input, and both of the pull-up and pull-down devices are connected to the inverter output, such that:if the programmable element is non-conductive, the inverter causes the variable-impedance path to be conductive;if the programmable element conducts and causes the voltage on the terminal T1 to move away from the ground voltage, the variable-impedance path is non-conductive,wherein the signal on the terminal T1 is completely determined by the state of the programmable element and the voltages on the first and second terminals.