# US 2019/0244643 A1 · Transmitting device using calibration circuit, semiconductor apparatus and system including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0244643 A1 - Document ID: US20190244643A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/387,379 - Filed: 2019-04-17 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-27 - Assignees: SK hynix Inc. - Applicants: SK hynix Inc. - Inventors: Hae Kang JUNG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190244643A1 ## CPC - G11C 7/1057: {Data output buffers, e.g. comprising level conversion circuits, circuits for adapting load} - H03K 17/6872: {using complementary field-effect transistors} - H03K 19/0005: {Modifications of input or output impedance} - H03K 19/017545: {Coupling arrangements; Impedance matching circuits} - H03K 19/018571: {of complementary type, e.g. CMOS} - H04L 25/0278: {Arrangements for impedance matching} - G11C 2207/2254: Calibration - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A transmitting device includes a calibration circuit and a transmission circuit. The calibration circuit generates calibration codes by performing a calibration operation. The calibration circuit also generates compensation calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes according to whether a number of codes among the calibration codes having a predetermined level is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The transmission circuit drives a signal transmission line based on an input signal and the compensation calibration codes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transmitting device comprising: a calibration circuit configured to generate calibration codes by performing a calibration operation and configured to generate compensation calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes based on whether a number of codes among the calibration codes having a predetermined level is greater than or equal to a threshold value, such that a number of codes among the compensation calibration codes having the predetermined level is less than the threshold value; and a transmission circuit configured to drive a signal transmission line based on an input signal and the compensation calibration codes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the calibration circuit comprises: a calibration code generator coupled to an external reference resistance and configured to generate the calibration codes; and a calibration code converter configured to generate converted calibration codes from the calibration codes and configured to select the calibration codes or the converted calibration codes as the compensation calibration codes based on an operation mode signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the calibration code converter comprises: a code decoder configured to generate the converted calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes when the number of codes among the calibration codes having the predetermined level is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and a code selector configured to output the calibration codes or the converted calibration codes as the compensation calibration codes based on the operation mode signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the operation mode signal provides an indication that a semiconductor apparatus associated with the transmission circuit is operating in a low power mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The transmitting device of claim 4, wherein the operation mode signal is enabled when the semiconductor apparatus associated with the transmission circuit is operating in the low power mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the compensation calibration codes include compensation pull-up calibration codes and compensation pull-down calibration codes, and wherein the transmission circuit comprises: a pre-driver configured to generate a plurality of pull-up signals based on the input signal and the compensation pull-up calibration codes and configured to generate a plurality of pull-down signals based the input signal and the compensation pull-down calibration codes; and a main driver configured to drive the signal transmission line based on the plurality of pull-up signals and the plurality of pull-down signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The transmitting device of claim 6, wherein a pull-up resistance and a pull-up driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-up signals, and wherein a pull-down resistance and a pull-down driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-down signals. ### Claim 8 A transmitting device comprising: a calibration code generator coupled to an external reference resistance and configured to generate a calibration codes; and a calibration code converter configured to generate a converted calibration codes from the calibration codes and configured to generate a compensation calibration codes from either the calibration codes or the converted calibration codes based on an operation mode signal; and a transmission circuit configured to drive a signal transmission line based on an input signal and the compensation calibration codes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The transmitting device of claim 8, wherein the calibration code converter is configured to generate the converted calibration codes by incrementally increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes until the number of codes among the calibration codes having the predetermined level is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The transmitting device of claim 8, wherein the calibration code converter comprises: a code decoder configured to generate the converted calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes when the number of codes among the calibration codes having the predetermined level is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and a code selector configured to output the calibration codes or the converted calibration codes as the compensation calibration codes based on the operation mode signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The transmitting device of claim 8, wherein the transmission circuit comprises: a pre-driver configured to generate a plurality of pull-up signals and a plurality of pull-down signals based on the input signal and the compensation calibration codes; and a main driver configured to drive the signal transmission line based on the plurality of pull-up signals and the plurality of pull-down signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The transmitting device of claim 11, wherein a pull-up resistance and a pull-up driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-up signals, and wherein a pull-down resistance and a pull-down driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-down signals. ### Claim 13 A transmitting device comprising: a calibration circuit configured to generate calibration codes by performing a calibration operation and configured to generate compensation calibration codes by changing the calibration codes when a number of codes among the calibration codes having a predetermined level is greater than or equal to a threshold value, such that a number of codes among the compensation calibration codes having the predetermined level is less than the threshold value; and a transmission circuit configured to drive a signal transmission line based on an input signal and the compensation calibration codes, wherein the transmission circuit comprises a main driver having a pull-up resistance and a pull-down resistance set based on the compensation calibration codes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The transmitting device of claim 13, wherein the calibration circuit is configured to generate the compensation calibration codes by incrementally increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes such that the pull-up resistance and the pull-down resistance of the main driver become most adjacent to a pull-up resistance value and a pull-down resistance value, respectively, that would otherwise be set based on the calibration codes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The transmitting device of claim 13, wherein the calibration circuit comprises: a calibration code generator coupled to an external reference resistance, wherein the calibration code generator is configured to generate the calibration codes; and a calibration code converter configured to generate converted calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes when the number of codes among the calibration codes having the predetermined level is greater than or equal to the threshold value and configured to generate the compensation calibration codes from the calibration codes and the converted calibration codes based on an operation mode signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The transmitting device of claim 15, wherein the calibration code converter comprises: a code decoder configured to generate the converted calibration codes by increasing or decreasing values of the calibration codes when the number of codes among the calibration codes having the predetermined level is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and a code selector configured to output the calibration codes or the converted calibration codes as the compensation calibration codes based on the operation mode signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The transmitting device of claim 13, wherein the transmission circuit further comprises a pre-driver configured to generate a plurality of pull-up signals and a plurality of pull-down signals based on the input signal and the compensation calibration codes, and wherein the main driver is configured to drive the signal transmission line based on the plurality of pull-up signals and the plurality of pull-down signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The transmitting device of claim 17, wherein the pull-up resistance and a pull-up driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-up signals, and wherein the pull-down resistances and a pull-down driving force of the main driver are adjusted based on the plurality of pull-down signals.