US 2008/0168296 A1 · APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING WITH SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES OF A SERIAL INTERCONNECTION

Abstract

A system controller communicates with devices in a serial interconnection. The system controller sends a read command, a device address identifying a target device in the serial interconnection and a memory location. The target device responds to the read command to read data in the location identified by the memory location. Read data is provided as an output signal that is transmitted from a last device in the serial interconnection to a data receiver of the controller. The data receiver establishes acquisition instants relating to clocks in consideration of a total flow-through latency in the serial interconnection. Where each device has a clock synchronizer, a propagated clock signal through the serial interconnection is used for establishing the acquisition instants. The read data is latched in response to the established acquisition instants in consideration of the flow-through latency, valid data is latched in the data receiver.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for communicating with a serial interconnection including a plurality of series-connected semiconductor devices, the serial interconnection including a first device and a last device, the method comprising:

supplying a clock signal for operation of the devices in the serial interconnection;
sending first instruction information for identifying a target device in the serial interconnection;
sending second instruction information for identifying operation of an identified target device to perform, the target device operating in accordance with the second instruction information to provide response data, the response data appearing in an output signal from the last device of the serial interconnection;
providing an acquisition instant in relation to the clock signal;
and
receiving the output signal from the last device to capture the response data in response to the acquisition instant.

3 more elements

An apparatus for communicating with a serial interconnection including a plurality of series-connected semiconductor devices, the serial interconnection including a first device and a last device, the apparatus comprising:

a controller for providing a clock signal for operation of the devices in the serial interconnection and for sending first and second instruction information to the serial interconnection, the first instruction information identifying a target device in the serial interconnection, the second information identifying operation of the target device to perform, the target device operating in accordance with the second instruction information to provide response data, the response data appearing in an output signal from the last device;
and
a receiver for receiving the output signal from the last device, the receiver comprising:
acquisition establishing circuitry for establishing an acquisition instant relating to the clock signal;
and
signal latching circuitry for latching the output signal at the acquisition instant to capture the response data.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for communicating with semiconductor devices of a serial interconnection

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for communicating with semiconductor devices of a serial interconnection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25