Semiconductor device allowing fast signal transfer and system employing the same
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHideaki Nagaoka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pair of dummy signal lines transmitting dummy signals, complementary to and synchronized with a normal signal, are arranged to form a set together with a normal transfer line transmitting the normal signal. In a device on a receiving side, one of the dummy signal lines is selected and coupled in accordance with the logic level of the normal signal, whereby two ringings occur in the opposite phases on the receiving side, and cancel each other so that ringing of the normal signal can be suppressed. An input/output interface, which can transfer a signal having a short level transition time without causing ringing, can be provided.
Claims20
A semiconductor device system comprising:
- a first signal line coupled to a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device, for transmitting a digital signal between the first and second semiconductor devices;
- a first dummy signal line coupled to said first semiconductor device and said second semiconductor device, and having same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line, for transmitting a first dummy signal complementary to said digital signal in a same direction as said digital signal;
- and
- a second dummy signal line coupled to said first semiconductor device and said second semiconductor device, and having the same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line, for transmitting a second dummy signal complementary to said digital signal in the same direction as said digital signal, said first signal line as well as the first and second dummy signal lines being arranged forming a set.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- normal output circuitry for generating a digital signal onto a first signal line in accordance with an internal signal;
- first dummy output circuitry for generating, as a first dummy signal, a signal complementary to said digital signal in response to said internal signal onto a first dummy signal line having a same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line;
- and
- second dummy output circuitry for generating, as a second dummy signal, a signal complementary to said digital signal in response to said internal signal onto a second dummy signal line having the same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- an input node coupled to a first signal-line transmitting a digital signal;
- a first dummy input node having same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line, and coupled to a first dummy signal line transmitting a signal complementary to the digital signal on said first signal line;
- a second dummy input node having same signal transmission characteristics as said first signal line, and coupled to a second dummy signal line transmitting a signal complementary to said digital signal;
- and
- coupling circuitry coupled to said first internal node for coupling said first signal line to said first dummy signal line when said digital signal changes in a first direction, and coupling said first signal line to said second dummy signal line when said digital signal changes in a second direction opposite to said first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.