Parallel to serial conversion device and method
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorHui Shi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method are used to convert a parallel datastream to a serial datastream. N number of parallel bits are input to n number of selection devices. One of the n number of selection devices is selected as an active selection device. The active selection device is directly coupled to a corresponding current source. The (n−1) inactive selection devices are coupled to a current steering device. The current steering device is coupled to the corresponding (n−1) inactive selection devices. The current steering devices allow taking over by input data bit or latch on the previous bit if there is no input. The parallel bit is converted to a bit in the serial datastream by generating a voltage representative of a value of the serial bit utilizing a combined current from the n current sources.
Claims18
A parallel-to-serial conversion device, comprising:
- 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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.