(n-1)/n current reduction scheme in a n-to-one parallel-to-serial conversion

A method of converting n parallel bits one at a time to a bit in a serial bit datastream in a current efficient manner, comprising:

• inputting n parallel bits to n number of selection devices;
• identifying one of the n number of selection devices as an active selection device and (n−1) number of selection devices as inactive selection devices;
• dividing an output current into a first current and a second current;
• directing the first current to the active selection device
• directly coupling the active selection device to one of n number of current sources;
• directing the second current to a current steering device;
• coupling the current steering device to (n−1) current sources corresponding to the (n−1) inactive selection devices;
• and
• converting an active parallel bit input via the active selection device to the bit in the serial datastream by generating a voltage representative of a value of the bit utilizing a combined current from the n current sources.

A transmitting device, comprising:

• a parallel-to-serial converter to convert n parallel bits one at a time to a bit in a serial bit datastream having:
• a voltage output device to produce a voltage representative of a value of a bit in a serial bit datastream converted from a parallel bit utilizing a combined current, the combined current divided into a first current and a second current;
• n number of selection devices to accept as input n number of parallel bits, wherein an active selection device accepts as input the first current and outputs an active selection device current directly to a corresponding current source and (n−1) non-active selection devices are inactive at one time;
• a current steering device, to accept as input the second current, and outputs (n−1) non-active selection device currents to (n−1) number of current sources, wherein n number of current sources, each corresponding to the n number of selection devices, accepts as input the active selection device current and the (n−1) non-active selection device currents;
• and
• an output buffer to receive the serial bit in the serial bit datastream from the parallel-to-serial converter and to transmit a differential datastream over a transmission line.