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US 11,689,246 B2Granted
Configurable, power supply voltage referenced single-ended signaling with ESD protection
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorsJohn W. Poulton, Frederick A. Ware, Carl W. Werner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single-ended data transmission system transmits a signal having a signal voltage that is referenced to a power supply voltage and that swings above and below the power supply voltage. The power supply voltage is coupled to a power supply rail that also serves as a signal return path. The signal voltage is derived from two signal supply voltages generated by a pair of charge pumps that draw substantially same amount of current from a power supply.
Claims19
A circuit to be coupled to a power supply, comprising:
- first and second terminals, the second terminal to be at a power supply voltage after being coupled to the power supply, the circuit being formed on a semiconductor substrate to be mounted on a packaging substrate having a power plane and the second terminal is to be connected to the power plane;
- and
- a receiver configured to receive a signal via the first terminal by detecting a voltage difference between a signal voltage at the first terminal with reference to the power supply voltage at the second terminal, the signal to have voltage levels that are referenced to the power supply voltage and that swing substantially symmetrically above and below the power supply voltage.
A circuit to be coupled to a power supply, comprising:
- a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal to be at a power supply voltage after being coupled to the power supply;
- and
- a receiver to receive a signal via the first terminal, the signal to have voltage levels that are referenced to the power supply voltage and that swing substantially symmetrically above and below the power supply voltage, the receiver including a receiver amplifier including a first input and a second input coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal, respectively, the receiver amplifier configured to detect voltage differences between a signal voltage at the first terminal with reference to the power supply voltage at the second terminal.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a first terminal and from a power plane on a packaging substrate, a power supply voltage;
- receiving, at a second terminal, a signal having voltage levels that are referenced to the power supply voltage and that swing substantially symmetrically above and below the power supply voltage;
- and
- detecting voltage differences between a signal voltage at the first terminal with reference to the power supply voltage at the second terminal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.