Patent ID: 7061817

Claim:
A data path for coupling data between a memory cell and an input/output (IO) line sense amplifier, the data path comprising: a pair of global input/output (GIO) signal lines coupled to an input of the IO line sense amplifier; a pair of local input/output (LIO) signal lines having coupled to a column of memory including the memory cell during a memory read or write operation; an IO line coupling circuit coupled to the GIO and LIO signal lines, the coupling circuit operable for the memory read operation to couple and decouple each of the GIO signal lines to and from a voltage supply in accordance with voltage levels of the LIO signal lines and further operable for the memory write operation to couple and decouple each of the GIO signal lines to and from a respective one of the LIO signal lines; and a first precharge circuit coupled to the GIO signal lines and operable to couple the GIO signal lines to ground to precharge the signal lines prior to a memory read or write operation.