Data processing device and data processing method

A data processing device comprising:

• a plurality of drivers that each includes a driver input terminal to which a control signal is input and a driver output terminal which outputs a voltage corresponding to the control signal input from the driver input terminal and that each outputs a high voltage or a low voltage in correspondence with the control signal in a case where the corresponding driver output terminal is in an open state, the plurality of drivers being first to M-th drivers, in which an integer larger than or equal to 3 is a number of states N, a power of a smallest integer that is a power of 2 larger than or equal to N is a control value M, and driver output terminals are connected in parallel to a transmission line through which a multi-level signal representing transmission data with voltage levels as many as the number of states N is transmitted as a signal to be transmitted;
• and
• a selection circuit that selects, from among a plurality of control signals, a control signal to be input to the driver input terminal of each of the first to M-th drivers, wherein
• the selection circuit changes a number of voltage levels of the multi-level signal to a value different from the number of states N by changing the control signal input to each of the first to M-th drivers.

A data processing method used by a data processing device including:

• a plurality of drivers that each includes a driver input terminal to which a control signal is input and a driver output terminal which outputs a voltage corresponding to the control signal input from the driver input terminal and that each outputs a high voltage or a low voltage in correspondence with the control signal in a case where the corresponding driver output terminal is in an open state, the plurality of drivers being first to M-th drivers, in which an integer larger than or equal to 3 is a number of states N, a power of a smallest integer that is a power of 2 larger than or equal to N is a control value M, and the driver output terminals are connected in parallel to a transmission line through which a multi-level signal representing transmission data with voltage levels as many as the number of states N is transmitted as a signal to be transmitted;
• and
• a selection circuit that selects, from among a plurality of control signals, a control signal to be input to the driver input terminal of each of the first to M-th drivers,
• the data processing method comprising:
• changing, using the selection circuit, a number of voltage levels of the multi-level signal to a value different from the number of states N by changing the control signal input to each of the first to M-th drivers.