Programmable channel equalization for multi-level signaling
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorFeng Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A memory interface may include a transmitter that generates multi-level signals. The transmitter may employ channel equalization to improve the quality and robustness of the multi-level signals. The channel equalization may be controlled independently from the drive strength of the multi-level signals. For example, a first control signal may control the de-emphasis or pre-emphasis applied to a multi-level signal and a second control signal may control the drive strength of the multi-level signal. The first control signal may control a channel equalization driver circuit and the second control signal may control a driver circuit.
Claims19
An apparatus, comprising:
- a driver circuit in electronic communication with a first control line, the driver circuit configured to modify its output current based at least in part on a first control signal received over the first control line, wherein the output current of the driver circuit is associated with a signal representing a bit in a symbol of a multi-level signal;
- and
- a channel equalization driver circuit in electronic communication with a second control line different than the first control line, the channel equalization driver circuit comprising a plurality of sub-circuits each controlled by a second control signal received over the second control line, wherein the output current of the channel equalization driver circuit is associated with a delayed and inverted version of the signal representing the bit in the symbol of the multi-level signal.
A method, comprising:
- receiving a first control signal at a driver circuit over a first control line;
- receiving a second control signal different than the first control signal at a channel equalization driver circuit over a second control line different than the first control line;
- receiving the second control signal at a second channel equalization driver circuit over the second control line, wherein the second control signal activates the channel equalization driver circuit and de-deactivates the second channel equalization driver circuit;
- modifying an output current of the driver circuit based at least in part on the first control signal;
- and
- modifying an output current of the channel equalization driver circuit based at least in part the second control signal.
A method, comprising:
- receiving a first control signal at a driver circuit over a first control line;
- receiving a second control signal different than the first control signal at a channel equalization driver circuit over a second control line different than the first control line;
- receiving the first control signal at a second driver circuit over the first control line, wherein the first control signal activates the driver circuit and de-deactivates the second driver circuit;
- modifying an output current of the driver circuit based at least in part on the first control signal;
- and
- modifying an output current of the channel equalization driver circuit based at least in part the second control signal.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a driver circuit comprising a first input in electronic communication with an output of a first pre-driver circuit and a second input in electronic communication with a first control line, the driver circuit configured to modify a strength of a first output signal of the first pre-driver circuit based at least in part on a first control signal received over the first control line;
- and
- a channel equalization driver circuit comprising a third input in electronic communication with an output of a second pre-driver circuit and a fourth input in electronic communication with a second control line, the channel equalization driver circuit configured to modify, based at least in part on a second control signal received over the second control line, a strength of a second output signal of the second pre-driver circuit by increasing or decreasing an output current of the channel equalization driver circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.