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US 7,890,287 B2Granted
Link transmitter swing compensation
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsKathy Tian, Harry Muljono
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To allow for reference current settings per multi-bit link (or alternatively, per apparatus), approaches for implementing closed-loop Tx swing control based on monitoring of a dummy circuit is provided herein. In accordance with some embodiments, provided is a dummy bit-link circuit to model operable bit-links in a multi-bit link, where each bit link has a transmitter with an adjustable swing level. Also provided is a reference generator circuit to control the transmitter swing levels based on test data driven through the dummy bit-link.
Claims12
An apparatus, comprising:
- a dummy bit-link to model operable bit-links in a multi-bit link, each bit link having a transmitter with an adjustable swing level, the dummy bit-link including an interconnect formed from one or more signal path components defining a signal path between a dummy transmitter and a dummy receiver, the one or more dummy link signal path components having signal transmission characteristics representative of operable multi-bit link signal transmission characteristics;
- and
- a reference generator circuit to control the transmitter swing levels based on test data driven through the dummy bit-link until a suitable swing level reference is identified for achieving sufficient transmission of the test data.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a multi-bit link including operable bit links and a dummy bit-link to have driven through it test data to identify a suitable swing-level reference in the dummy bit-link;
- and
- drivers for the operable bit-links, the drivers to be controlled using the swing level reference identified for the dummy bit link, wherein the test data is driven through the dummy bit link until a suitable swing level reference is identified for achieving sufficient transmission of the test data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.