US 6,806,737 B2 · Bi-directional amplifier and method for accelerated bus line communication

Abstract

A circuit and method for accelerating bus line communication in an integrated circuit is disclosed. High speed transmission of signals along a bus line is achieved by driving a series of bus line segments with their own bi-directional bus amplification circuits. Because each bus line segment has less capacitive loading than longer non-segmented bus lines, voltage reversal, or data inversion of a pair of complementary lines of a bus line segment is accomplished at high speed. Each bi-directional bus amplification circuit includes a precharge circuit for precharging each complementary pair of lines to known logic levels, and a drive circuit for changing the logic level of each line. The bi-directional bus amplification circuit of the present invention logically connects two lines to each other while actively amplifying the signal in either direction without prior knowledge of which direction the signal must be driven, and without additional control overhead than that required for a conventional precharged bus line.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A bi-directional amplifier circuit for driving data between first and second complementary bus lines and third and fourth complementary bus lines, comprising:

a precharge circuit for charging the first bus line to a high logic level;
a pre-discharge circuit for discharging the second bus line to a low logic level;
a discharge circuit for driving the first bus line to the low logic level in response to a change in the logic level of one of the second bus line and the fourth bus line;
and,
a charge circuit for driving the second bus line to the high logic level in response to a change in the logic level of one of the first bus line and the third bus line.

2 more elements

A bi-directional amplifier circuit for driving data between first and second complementary bus lines, and third and fourth complementary bus lines, the first and third bus lines being precharged to a first predetermined logic level and the second and fourth bus lines being precharged to a second predetermined logic level, comprising:

a first local bi-directional amplifier circuit coupled to the first and second complementary bus lines for receiving the third and fourth complementary bus lines, the first local bi-directional amplifier circuit accelerating charge reversal of the first and second complementary bus lines in response to a change in the logic levels of one of the third and fourth complementary bus lines and the first and second complementary bus lines;
and,
a second local bi-directional amplifier circuit coupled to the third and fourth complementary bus lines for receiving the first and the second bus lines, the second local bi-directional amplifier circuit accelerating charge reversal of the third and fourth complementary bus lines in response to a change in the logic levels of one of the first and second complementary bus lines and the third and fourth complementary bus lines.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bi-directional amplifier and method for accelerated bus line communication

Life of this patent

Bi-directional amplifier and method for accelerated bus line communication

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25