Communication channel calibration using feedback
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorsJun Kim, Wayne S. Richardson, Glenn Chiu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for calibrating a communication channel coupling first and second components includes transmitting a data signal from the first component to the second component on the communication channel, and sensing a characteristic, such as phase, of the data signal on the second component. Information about the sensed characteristic is fed back to the first component using an auxiliary channel. An adjustable parameter, such as phase, for the transmitter is adjusted on the first component in response to the information. Also, a characteristic of a data signal received from the transmitter on the second component is sensed and used to adjust an adjustable parameter for the receiver on the first component.
Claims22
A method for calibrating in a system including a communication channel coupled to a first component and a second component, the first component having a transmitter with an adjustable parameter, the second component having a receiver, comprising:
- transmitting a data signal from the first component to the second component on the communication channel, the data signal including a sequence of data symbols representing data;
- sensing on the second component a characteristic of the data signal and the data represented by the data symbols;
- feeding back information about the sensed characteristic from the second component to the first component using a different communication channel;
- and
- adjusting the adjustable parameter for the transmitter on the first component in response to the information about the sensed characteristic.
(canceled)
An integrated circuit (IC) memory chip, comprising:
- memory core circuitry;
- interface circuitry coupled to the memory core circuitry, the interface circuitry including multiple input/output (I/O) ports for coupling to respective data links;
- and
- calibration circuitry including
- sensor circuitry to detect signal parameter information at each of the I/O ports, the signal parameter information associated with data received at the I/O ports;
- and
- a sideband I/O port for coupling to a sideband channel, the sideband port to communicate the signal parameter information via the sideband channel to a memory controller.
A method of operation in an integrated circuit (IC) memory device, the method comprising:
- receiving data signals along multiple data links from a memory controller;
- generating sensed information associated with the data signals of the multiple data links by
- sensing signal parameter information associated with the data signals;
- composing the sensed information associated with the data signals of the multiple data links into calibration information;
- and
- transmitting the calibration information to the memory controller via a sideband port.
An integrated circuit (IC) DRAM memory chip comprising:
- receiver circuitry for coupling to multiple data links, the receiver circuitry to receive data signals from a memory controller;
- sensing circuitry to generate sensed information associated with the data signals of the multiple data links by sensing signal parameter information associated with the data signals;
- logic to accumulate the sensed information associated with the data signals of the multiple data links into calibration information;
- and
- transmitter circuitry to transmit the calibration information to the memory controller via a sideband port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.