# US 10,120,830 B2 · Interface circuit for high speed communication, and system including the same

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- Number: US 10,120,830 B2
- Document ID: US10120830B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/950,158
- Filed: 2015-11-24
- Published: 2017-01-19
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-13
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Keun Soo Song
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120830B2

## CPC

- G06F 13/4265: {on a point to point bus (G06F13/4247, G06F13/4282 take precedence)}
- G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A system may include an interface circuit and a plurality of wire buses electrically coupled with one another. The interface circuit may include transmitters which change states of the plurality of wire buses to transmit a plurality of multilevel symbols. The transmitters may drive wire buses, coupled to each other, to a termination voltage level.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An interface circuit comprising: a transmitter coupled with a plurality of wire buses, each wire bus comprising a plurality of wires, and configured to change states of the plurality of wire buses to transmit a plurality of multilevel symbols, wherein the plurality of wires of adjacent wire buses are electrically coupled with each other, and the transmitter drives the adjacent wire buses to a termination voltage level.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The interface circuit according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of wire buses comprise first and second wire buses, and
wherein the transmitter drives the first and second wire buses to the termination voltage level by driving at least one wire of the first wire bus and at least one wire of the second wire bus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The interface circuit according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter pull-up drives the at least one wire of the first wire bus, and pull-down drives the at least one wire of the second wire bus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The interface circuit according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of wire buses further comprise a third wire bus which is adjacent to the second wire bus, and
wherein the transmitter drives at least one wire of the third wire bus to the termination voltage level.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The interface circuit according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter simultaneously pull-up and pull-down drives the at least one wire of the third wire bus.

### Claim 6

A system comprising:
a first wire bus transmitter configured to change states of a plurality of wires of a first wire bus based on a first multilevel symbol; and
a second wire bus transmitter configured to change a states of a plurality of wires of a second wire bus based on a second multilevel symbol,
wherein, as the first wire bus transmitter pull-up drives at least one wire of the first wire bus and the second wire bus transmitter pull-down drives at least one wire of the second wire bus, the plurality of wires of the first and second wire buses are driven to a termination voltage level.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6,
wherein the first wire bus comprises first to third wires, and
wherein the first wire bus transmitter comprises:
a first output driver configured to drive the first wire to a high or low level;
a second output driver configured to drive the second wire to a high or low level; and
a third output driver configured to drive the third wire to a high or low level.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7,
wherein the second wire bus comprises fourth to sixth wires, and
wherein the second wire bus transmitter comprises:
a fourth output driver configured to drive the fourth wire to a high or low level;
a fifth output driver configured to drive the fifth wire to a high or low level; and
a sixth output driver configured to drive the sixth wire to a high or low level.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8,
wherein two output drivers among the first to third output drivers pull-up or pull-down drive corresponding wires based on the first multilevel symbol, and a remaining one output driver pull-up drives a corresponding wire, and
wherein two output drivers among the fourth to sixth output drivers pull-up or pull-down drive corresponding wires based on the second multilevel symbol, and a remaining one output driver pull-down drives a corresponding wire.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9,
wherein each of the first to sixth output drivers comprises a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver, and
wherein the pull-up driver of the remaining one output driver among the first to third output drivers and the pull-down driver of the remaining one output driver among the fourth to sixth output drivers are turned on and drive the first and second wire buses to the termination voltage level.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising:
a first wire bus receiver configured to generate the first multilevel symbol based on a state of the first wire bus; and
a second wire bus receiver configured to generate the second multilevel symbol based on a state of the second wire bus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11,
wherein the first wire bus comprises first to third wires,
wherein the first wire bus receiver comprises:
a first reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the first and second wires;
a second reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the second and third wires; and
a third reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the third and first wires, and
wherein outputs of the first to third reception drivers correspond to the first multilevel symbol.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system according to claim 12,
wherein the second wire bus comprises fourth to sixth wires,
wherein the second wire bus receiver comprises:
a fourth reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the fourth and fifth wires;
a fifth reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the fifth and sixth wires; and
a sixth reception driver configured to differentially amplify states of the sixth and fourth wires, and
wherein outputs of the fourth to sixth reception drivers correspond to the second multilevel symbol.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6,
wherein the first wire bus comprises first to third wires and the second wire bus comprises fourth to sixth wires, and
wherein the system further comprises:
termination resistors respectively coupled between the first to third wires and a common node; and
termination resistors respectively coupled between the fourth to sixth wires and the common node.

### Claim 15

A system comprising:
a first wire bus transmitter configured to drive states of first to third wires to a high or low level based on a first multilevel symbol; and
a second wire bus transmitter configured to drive states of fourth to sixth wires to a high or low level based on a second multilevel symbol,
wherein, as the first wire bus transmitter drives one of the first to third wires to a high level and the second wire bus transmitter drives one of the fourth to sixth wires to a low level, the first to sixth wires are driven to a middle level.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system according to claim 15, wherein the first wire bus transmitter comprises:
a first output driver configured to drive the first wire to the high or low level;
a second output driver configured to drive the second wire to the high or low level; and
a third output driver configured to drive the third wire to the high or low level.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein the second wire bus transmitter comprises:
a fourth output driver configured to drive the fourth wire to the high or low level;
a fifth output driver configured to drive the fifth wire to the high or low level; and
a sixth output driver configured to drive the sixth wire to the high or low level.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system according to claim 17, wherein, as at least one of the first to third output drivers drives a corresponding wire to the high level and at least one of the fourth to sixth output drivers drives a corresponding wire to the low level, the first to sixth wires are driven to the middle level.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
a first wire bus transmitter configured to change a state of a first wire bus based on a first multilevel symbol; and
a second wire bus transmitter configured to change a state of a second wire bus based on a second multilevel symbol,
wherein the first wire bus includes:
a first wire having one end coupled to a first output driver and an other end coupled to a first common node; and
a second wire having one end coupled to a second output driver and an other end coupled to the first common node,
wherein the second wire bus includes:
a third wire having one end coupled to a third output driver and an other end coupled to a second common node; and
a fourth wire having one end coupled to a fourth output driver and an other end coupled to the second common node,
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth drivers include, respectively, a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver configured to drive the first second third and fourth wires, respectively, to a high or low level.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system according to claim 19, wherein, when the second and fourth wires are driven to a middle level, only the pull-up driver of the second output driver is turned on and only the pull-down driver of the fourth driver is turned on.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The system according to claim 19,
wherein transmission termination resistors are coupled between first, second, third, and fourth output drivers and the first, second, third, and fourth wires, respectively, and
wherein reception termination resistors are respectively coupled between other ends of the first and second wires and the first common node,
wherein reception termination resistors are respectively coupled between other ends of the third and fourth wires and the second common node.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system according to claim 21,
wherein a resistance value of the transmission termination resistors are changed, respectively, according to the first or second multilevel symbol.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system according to claim 22,
wherein the transmission termination resistors include a variable resistor.