Line driver circuit and method
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsFrancesco CHRAPPAN SOLDAVINI, Michele Fedeli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A driver circuit for driving a transmission line includes a voltage driver and a current driver. The voltage driver is for driving the transmission line with a first voltage gain in a first operation mode. The current driver is activatable in a second operation mode for driving, together with the voltage driver, the transmission line with a second voltage gain. The transmission line may be an Ethernet-over-copper transmission line with electrical data signals from a data generator.
Claims22
1-10. (canceled)
A driver circuit for driving a transmission line with electrical data signals from a data generator, the driver circuit comprising:
- a voltage driver configured to drive the transmission line with a first voltage gain in a first operation mode;
- and
- a current driver activatable in a second operation mode to drive, together with said voltage driver, the transmission line with a second voltage gain.
A driver circuit for driving a transmission line with electrical data signals from a data generator, the driver circuit comprising:
- a voltage driver comprising at least one output resistor coupled with the transmission line and configured to drive the transmission line with a first voltage gain in a first operation mode;
- and
- a current driver activatable in a second operation mode to drive, together with said voltage driver, the transmission line with a second voltage gain, said current driver comprising
- a first stage configured to generate a replica of the electrical data signals from the data generator, and
- a second stage configured to mirror current flowing in said first stage into a drive current for the transmission line with a mirror ratio so as to reduce the voltage drop across said at least one output resistor.
A method of driving a transmission line with electrical data signals from a data generator, the method comprising:
- in a first operation mode, driving the transmission line with a first voltage gain using a voltage driver;
- and
- in a second operation mode, driving the transmission line with a second voltage gain using a current driver activated together with the voltage driver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.