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US 7,010,637 B2Granted
Single-ended memory interface system
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsHing Y To, James A McCall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for interfacing over a multi-drop bus comprising a single-ended control interface coupled with a first power supply, and a common supply and a plurality of single-ended memory interfaces coupled with a second power supply, the common supply and coupled directly to the control interface. The control interface is configured to drive a control output signal and the memory interface is configured to drive a memory output signal. The output signals are driven to the common supply to transfer a logic low.
Claims16
A system for interfacing over a bus, the system comprising:
- a single-ended control interface coupled with a first power supply, and a common supply, wherein the control interface comprises a control driver configured to output a control output current to drive a control output signal, the control driver including a resistive bias circuit configured to track the control output current supplied to a switching unit through a current source thereby adjusting the performance of the control driver;
- a plurality of single-ended memory interfaces coupled to a second power supply and the common supply, each memory interface including a memory driver configured to output current to drive a memory output signal, wherein the control and memory output signals are driven to the common supply to transfer a logic low;
- and
- the bus being coupled to the single-ended control interface, between the switching unit and the resistive bias unit, and to the plurality of single-ended memory interfaces, the control output signal being the voltage level common to the switching unit and the resistive bias unit.
1 more element
A memory interface circuit for transferring data, the interface comprising:
- a control driver configured to drive a control output signal, the control driver including:
- a current source coupled to a power supply, the current source configured to provide a control output current;
- a switching unit coupled to the current source, the switching unit configured to switch based on a control input signal;
- and
- a resistive bias unit coupled to the switching unit, the resistive bias unit configured to track the control output current supplied to the switching unit through the current source to adjust the performance of the control driver to maintain a constant control output signal, the switching unit and the resistive bias unit configured for coupling to a bus,
- wherein the control output signal is the voltage level common to the switching unit and resistive bias unit.
3 more elements
A memory interface system for transferring data, the interface comprising:
- a control driver configured to drive a control output signal, the control driver including:
- a first current source coupled to a first power supply, the first current source configured to provide a control output current;
- a first switching unit coupled to the first current source, the first switching unit configured to switch based on a control input signal;
- a first resistive bias unit coupled to the first switching unit, the first resistive bias unit configured to track the control output current;
- and
- a plurality of memory drivers, each memory driver configured to drive a memory output signal, each memory driver comprising:
- a second current source coupled to a second power supply,
- a second pre-driver circuit configured to convert a second differential data signal pair to a memory input signal, and
- a second switching unit coupled to the second current source, the second switching unit configured to switch based on the memory input signal;
- and
- a bus being coupled to the control driver, between the first switching unit and the first resistive bias unit, and to the plurality of memory drivers, the control output signal being the voltage level common to the first switching unit and the first resistive bias unit, the bus being coupled with each of the second switching units of the plurality of memory drivers, wherein the memory output signal is the voltage level output by the second switching unit.
8 more elements
A memory interface system, comprising:
- a memory control hub comprising a control unit configured to transfer data to a memory module comprising a plurality of memory units, wherein the data is transferred over a bus coupled to a termination resistor, the control unit including a control interface coupled to a first power supply and a common supply, the control interface including a control driver configured to provide control output current to drive a control output signal and a control receiver configured to receive a memory output signal, the control driver including a resistive bias circuit configured to track the control output current supplied to a switching unit through a current source thereby adjusting the performance of the control driver, the bus being coupled to the control unit, between the switching unit and the resistive bias circuit, and to the memory module, the control output signal being the voltage level common to the switching unit and the resistive bias circuit;
- and
- a plurality of memory interfaces, one memory interface for each of the memory units, each memory interface coupled to a second power supply, each memory interface including a memory driver configured to drive the memory output signal and a memory receiver configured to receive the control output signal, wherein the data transferred over the bus includes the control output signal and the memory output signal;
- and wherein the control output signal and memory output signal are driven to a voltage output high level to transfer a logic high, and the control output signal and memory output signal are driven to the common supply voltage to transfer a logic low.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.