Multi-level signal receivers and memory systems including the same

A multi-level signal receiver comprising:

• a data sampler including (M−1) sense amplifiers configured to compare a multi-level signal having one of M voltage levels different from each other, received from a channel with (M−1) reference voltages to generate (M−1) comparison signals, the data sampler configured to generate a target data signal including N bits, M being an integer greater than two and N being an integer greater than one;
• a reference voltage generator configured to generate the (M−1) reference voltages;
• and
• an equalization controller configured to train the (M−1) sense amplifiers by adjusting at least one of (M−1) voltage intervals in a first training mode and by adjusting levels of the (M−1) reference voltages in second training mode, based on equalized values of the (M−1) comparison signals,
• wherein each of the (M−1) voltage intervals represents a difference between two adjacent voltage levels from among the M voltage levels.

A memory system configured to transmit data based on a multi-level signal having one of M voltage levels different from each other, M being an integer greater than two, the memory system comprising:

• a memory controller including a transmitter configured to generate the multi-level signal based on input data;
• and
• a memory device connected to the memory controller through a channel, the memory device including at least one multi-level signal receiver configured to receive the multi-level signal from the channel and configured to compare the multi-level signal with (M−1) reference voltages to generate a target data signal including N bits, N being an integer greater than one,
• wherein the at least one multi-level signal receiver includes:
• a data sampler including (M−1) sense amplifiers configured to compare the multi-level signal with the (M−1) reference voltages to generate (M−1) comparison signals;
• a reference voltage generator configured to generate the (M−1) reference voltages;
• and
• an equalization controller configured to train the (M−1) sense amplifiers by adjusting at least one of (M−1) voltage intervals in a first training mode and by adjusting levels of the (M−1) reference voltages in second training mode, based on equalized values of the (M−1) comparison signals,
• wherein each of the (M−1) voltage intervals represents a difference between two adjacent voltage levels from among the M voltage levels.