Multi-agent pseudo-differential signaling scheme
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorTim Frodsham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit for reducing the effect of noise on signals. The circuit includes a plurality of information signal lines having a substantially matched routing, and a reference voltage line having a routing substantially matched to the routing of the plurality of information signal lines. The circuit further includes a transmitting agent coupled to the plurality of information signal lines and to the reference voltage signal line, including a noise coupling circuit for coupling noise from the transmitting agent to the reference voltage line.
Claims45
A circuit comprising:
- a plurality of information signal lines having a substantially matched routing;
- a reference voltage line having a routing substantially matched to the routing of the plurality of information signal lines;
- and
- a transmitting agent coupled to the plurality of information signal lines and to the reference voltage signal line, including,
- a noise coupling circuit for coupling noise from the transmitting agent to the reference voltage line.
A circuit comprising:
- a plurality of information signal lines all with a commonly matched routing between a first agent and a second agent;
- a reference voltage line with a routing that is matched to the commonly matched routing;
- a receiving circuit coupled to at least one of the plurality of information signal lines and to the reference voltage line to receive at least one information signal and a reference voltage signal, the receiving circuit rejecting noise that is common to the at least one information signal and the reference voltage signal;
- and
- a transmitting circuit for selectively coupling noise from an integrated circuit die of the transmitting circuit to the reference voltage line.
An apparatus comprising:
- a signal transmitting device;
- a plurality of groups of signal lines coupled to the signal transmitting device, wherein a routing of a group of signal lines of the plurality of groups is substantially matched;
- and
- a plurality of reference voltage lines coupled to the transmitting device, wherein each reference voltage line is associated with one of the groups of signal lines, and wherein each of the reference voltage lines has a routing that is substantially matched to a routing of the associated group of signal lines.
An apparatus comprising:
- a bus comprising:
- at least one group of information signal lines, wherein each information signal line in the at least one group has at least one electrical characteristic in common with all other information signal lines in the at least one group;
- and
- a reference voltage signal line associated with the at least one group of information signals, wherein the reference voltage signal line has at least one electrical characteristic in common with the information signal lines in the at least one group;
- and
- a plurality of signal transmitting agents each coupled to the bus.
In an integrated circuit of a computer system, a circuit comprising:
- a reference voltage line;
- a plurality of information signal lines having a routing that is matched to a routing of the reference voltage signal line;
- and
- a transmitting device coupled to the reference voltage signal line and to the plurality of information signal lines including a coupling device for coupling die noise of the integrated circuit onto the reference voltage line when the integrated circuit is configured as a driving agent.
A computer system comprising:
- a plurality of information signal lines routed over a signal carrying medium, wherein a routing of each of the information signal lines is matched;
- a reference voltage signal line routed over the medium, wherein a routing of the reference voltage signal line is matched to the routing of the plurality of information signal lines;
- and
- a plurality of integrated circuit agents, each configurable as a differential receiver and as a driver, each of the plurality of agents including a coupling device that selectively couples noise associated with an integrated circuit die of an agent to the reference voltage signal line when the agent is configured as a driver with control of a system bus.
A method for reducing the effect of noise on information signals transmitted by a driving agent to a receiving agent, comprising the steps of:
- matching a routing of a reference voltage signal line over a transmission medium to a routing of a plurality of information signal lines between the driving agent and the receiving agent;
- and
- coupling die noise of the driving agent to the reference voltage signal.
In a system including a plurality of agent and a plurality of signal lines having a matched routing between agents, a method of transmitting signals between agents comprising the steps of:
- at a driving agent of the plurality of agents, coupling noise characteristic of the agent to a reference voltage signal;
- transmitting the reference voltage signal with the coupled noise over a reference voltage signal line that has a routing matched to the routing of the plurality of signal lines;
- and
- transmitting an information signal over one of the plurality of information signal lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.