Differential voltage memory bus
AssigneeSpreadtrum Communications Corporation
InventorsRenyong Fan, Zhaohua Xiao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of communicating between a memory and circuitry on an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method comprises converting a first input signal from the memory to a first differential output signal dependent upon the first input signal. The first input signal is a full swing signal. The first differential output signal is propagated to the circuitry using a pair of first signal lines. Finally, at the circuitry, the first differential output signal is converted into a first received signal, which is a full swing signal.
Claims17
A memory bus for communications between a memory and circuitry comprising:
- a first self-timing transmitter associated with said memory for receiving a first input signal from said memory, said first self-timing transmitter operative to output a first differential output signal dependent upon said first input signal;
- a second self-timing receiver associated with said circuitry adapted to receive said first differential output signal and operative to output a first received signal to said circuitry dependent upon said first differential output signal;
- a second self-timing transmitter associated with said circuitry for receiving a second input signal from said circuitry, said second self-timing transmitter operative to output a second differential output signal dependent upon said second input signal;
- and
- a first self-timing receiver associated with said memory adapted to receive said second differential output signal and operative to output a second received signal to said memory dependent upon said second differential output signal.
A method of communicating between a memory and circuitry on a single integrated circuit comprising:
- converting a first input signal from said memory to a first differential output signal dependent upon said first input signal, said first input signal being a full swing signal;
- propagating said first differential output signal using a pair of first signal lines to said circuitry;
- and
- converting said first differential output signal into a first received signal, said first received signal being a full swing signal.
A single integrated circuit comprising:
- a memory;
- a circuit;
- and
- a memory bus communicatively connecting said memory and said circuit comprising:
- a first self-timing transmitter associated with said memory for receiving a first input signal from said memory, said first self-timing transmitter operative to output a first differential output signal dependent upon said first input signal;
- a second self-timing receiver associated with said circuitry adapted to receive said first differential output signal and operative to output a first received signal to said circuitry dependent upon said first differential output signal;
- a second self-timing transmitter associated with said circuitry for receiving a second input signal from said circuitry, said second self-timing transmitter operative to output a second differential output signal dependent upon said second input signal;
- and
- a first self-timing receiver associated with said memory adapted to receive said second differential output signal and operative to output a second received signal to said memory dependent upon said second differential output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.