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US 6,211,701 B1Granted
Low power line switching circuit, device and method
AssigneeRose Research, L.L.C.
InventorsMaarten Kuijk, Johan Stiens, Roger Andre Vounckx, Frédérick Devisch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive circuit comprises an output terminal for connection to a signal line 1002. An inductor 1012 is coupled between the signal line 1002 and a reference voltage node 1010. A switch 1008 is coupled between the signal line 1002 and the reference voltage node 1010. When the switch 1008 is closed, the inductor 1012 is coupled between the reference voltage node 1010 and the signal line 1002. When the switch is open, the inductor 1012 is not coupled between the reference voltage node 1010 and the signal line 1002.
Claims49
A drive circuit comprising:
- an output terminal;
- a reference voltage node;
- an inductor coupled between the output terminal and the reference voltage node;
- a switch coupled between the output terminal and the reference voltage node, the switch coupled so that when the switch is closed a series circuit is formed between the reference voltage node, the inductor and the output terminal, the switch also coupled so that when the switch is open a series circuit is prevented from being formed between the reference voltage node, the inductor and the output terminal;
- and
- a snap circuit, the snap circuit including an output coupled to the output node.
3 more elements
A method of switching a line from a first voltage level to a second voltage level, the method comprising the steps of:
- coupling the line to an inductor;
- inductively coupling the line to a reference voltage at a level between the first and second voltage levels;
- decoupling the line from the reference voltage when the line substantially reaches a maximum bias relative to the reference voltage;
- and
- after decoupling the line, forcing the line to the second voltage level using a snap circuit.
2 more elements
A switching circuit comprising:
- a first switch with a current path coupled between a virtual ground node and an output node;
- an inductive energy storage element coupled between the virtual ground node and the output node and in series with the first switch;
- a second switch with a current path coupled between a HIGH voltage node and the output node;
- third switch with a current path coupled between a LOW voltage node and the output node;
- and
- a control circuit with an input, a first output coupled to a control input of the first switch, a second output coupled to a control input of the second switch, and a third output coupled to a control input of the third switch;
- wherein, in response to the receipt of an input signal at the input of the control circuit, the control circuit enables the first switch for a selected period of time and, after the selected period of time, disables the first switch and enables only one of the second and third switches.
4 more elements
A driver circuit for driving high and low voltage levels, the driver circuit comprising:
- a plurality of output terminals;
- a reference voltage node for being held at a voltage level between said high and low voltage levels;
- at least a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to one of said output terminals, each switch coupling its respective output terminal to the reference voltage node when closed;
- at least one inductive energy storage element coupled between said reference voltage node and the plurality of output terminals, the at least one inductive storage element being coupled between the reference voltage node and the switch;
- and
- control logic coupled to said switches for closing selected switches to start a voltage level transition of output terminal coupled to said selected switches and for opening said selected switches when a voltage level transition from one to the other of said high and low voltage levels is substantially complete.
3 more elements
A driver circuit for driving high and low voltage levels, the driver circuit comprising:
- a plurality of output terminals;
- a reference voltage node for being held at a voltage level between said high and low voltage levels;
- at least a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to one of said output terminals each switch coupling its respective output terminal to the reference voltage node when closed;
- at least one inductive energy storage element coupled between said reference voltage node and the plurality of output terminals, the at least one inductive storage element being coupled between the reference voltage node and the switch;
- and
- control logic coupled to said switches for closing selected switches to start a voltage level transition of output terminal coupled to said selected switches and for opening said selected switches when a voltage level transition from one to the other of said high and low voltage levels is substantially complete;
- and
- selection circuitry coupled to said control logic for selecting a first set of data lines to be transitioned from said high to said low level and for selecting a second set of data lines to be transitioned from said low to said high level;
- wherein said control logic closes a first set of selected switches simultaneously to start a first voltage level transition on said first set of data lines and opens said first set of selected switches simultaneously when said first voltage level transition on said first set of data lines is substantially complete;
- and
- wherein said control logic closes a second set of selected switches simultaneously to start a second voltage level transition on said second set of data lines and opens said second set of selected switches simultaneously when said second voltage level transition on said second set of data lines is substantially complete.
8 more elements
A driver circuit for driving high and low voltage levels, the driver circuit comprising:
- a plurality of output terminals;
- a reference voltage node for being held at voltage level between said high and low voltage levels;
- at least a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to one of said output terminals, each switch coupling its respective output terminal to the reference voltage node when closed;
- at least one inductive energy storage element coupled between said reference voltage node and the plurality of output terminals, the at least one inductive storage element being coupled between the reference voltage node and the switch;
- and
- control logic coupled to said switches for closing elected switches to start a voltage level transition of output terminals coupled to said elected switches and for opening sid selected switches when a voltage level transition from one to the other of said high and low voltage levels in substantially complete;
- and
- a plurality of snap circuits, each snap circuit coupled to one output terminal for pulling a connected signal line to the nearest of said high and low voltage levels, wherein the snap circuit is decoupled from said output terminal during a voltage level transition.
5 more elements
A method of driving a plurality of lines between different voltage levels the method comprising:
- selecting a first set of lines that are currently at a first voltage level and are to be driven to a second voltage level;
- converting capacitive energy stored with a first charging direction on said first set of data lines into magnetic energy;
- converting said magnetic energy into capacitive energy on said first set of data lines with a charging direction opposite from said first charging direction relative to a reference voltage intermediate said first and second voltage levels;
- selecting a second set of data lines that are currently at said second voltage level and are to be driven to said first voltage level;
- converting capacitive energy stared with said second charging direction on said second set of data lines into additional magnetic energy;
- and
- converting said additional magnetic energy into capacitive energy on said second set of data lines with a charging direction opposite from said second charging direction relative to a reference voltage intermediate said first and second voltage levels.
4 more elements
A system for driving signals across a data bus comprising:
- a data bus for communicating signals between devices said data bus including data lines having capacitance;
- a bus driver coupled to said data bus, said bus driver including:
- a switch for coupling a data line of said data bus to inductive means for establishing an LC circuit including said inductive means and said capacitance of said data line when said switch couples said data line and said inductive means;
- control means for closing said switch to initiate a voltage level transition on said data line and for opening said switch when said LC circuit is substantially near one half period of its resonant oscillation.
1 more element
A system for driving signals across a data bus comprising:
- a data bus for communicating signals between devices said data bus including data lines having capacitance;
- a bus driver coupled to said data bus, said bus driver including:
- a first switch for coupling a first data line of said data bus to first inductive means for establishing a first LC circuit including said first inductive means and said capacitance of said first data line when said first switch couples said first data line and said first inductive means;
- a second switch for coupling a second data line of said data bus to second inductive means for establishing a second LC circuit including said second inductive means and said capacitance of said second data line when said second switch couples said second data line and said second inductive means;
- first control means for closing said first switch to initiate a first voltage level transition on said first data line and for opening said first switch when said first LC circuit is substantially near one half period of its resonant frequency;
- second control means for closing said second switch to initiate a second voltage level transition on said second data line and for opening said second switch when said second LC circuit is substantially near one half period of its resonant oscillation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.