Reference potential for sensing data in electronic storage element

A column of an integrated memory circuit includes two bit lines each with a right half and a left half and a plurality of similar memory cells connected to each half of each bit line. One of the memory cells connected to each line is used as a reference and the other cells are used for data storage. Each half of each bit line is connected to a sense node of a sense amplifier latch through an independently controlled transistor switch. To read the data from the first half of the first bit line, the transistors connecting the first half of the first bit line to the sense node is turned on and the transistor connecting the second half of the first bit line to the sense node is turned off. Both transistor switches connecting respective halves of the other bit line to the other sense node are turned on. Each half of each bit line includes approximately the same effective load. The load applied to the first sense node is thus about half of the load applied to the second sense node. Access switches are opened to access the value stored in the data memory element and the reference data element and the resulting potential in the bit lines are significantly different whether the same value is stored or not, due to the different loads. Preferably, the output of the memory elements is selected so that the reference potential is about midway between the potential in a bit line half connected to a memory element storing a high value and a low value.