# US 8,542,035 B2 · Squelch detection circuit

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- Number: US 8,542,035 B2
- Document ID: US8542035B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/519,316
- Filed: 2010-12-15
- Published: 2012-11-08
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-28
- Assignees: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
- Applicants: Hong June Park; Seong Hwan Jeon
- Inventors: Hong June Park; Seong Hwan Jeon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542035B2

## CPC

- H03K 5/2445: {with at least one differential stage}
- H04L 5/1423: {for simultaneous baseband signals}
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A squelch detection circuit for high-speed serial communication includes: an input level shifter configured to receive signals inputted through signal lines and shift the received signals to a predetermined potential level; a comparator configured to receive signals outputted from the input level shifter, and compares the received signals to determine whether data signals are noise or signal components; and a reset signal generator configured to receive the signals outputted from the input level shifter, convert the received signals into a single signal, and then generate a reset signal for an elastic buffer. The squelch detection circuit may detect a squelch state and provide a reset value for an elastic buffer in a USB 2.0 interface, and may reduce power consumption as much as possible in a suspend mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A squelch detection circuit for high-speed serial communication, comprising:
an input level shifter configured to receive signals inputted through signal lines and shift the received signals to a predetermined potential level;
a comparator configured to receive signals outputted from the input level shifter, and compares the received signals to determine whether data signals are noise or signal components; and
a reset signal generator configured to receive the signals outputted from the input level shifter, convert the received signals into a single signal, and then generate a reset signal for an elastic buffer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 1, wherein the input level shifter comprises:
a first input level shifter configured to receive first and second input signals, shift the received signals to a predetermined potential level, and generate first and second output signals; and
a second input level shifter configured to receive first and second comparison input signals, shift the received signals to a predetermined potential level, and generate first and second comparison output signals.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 2, wherein the input level shifter comprises first to third PMOS transistors and a CMOS switch between a power supply voltage and a ground voltage,
the second PMOS transistor serves as a current source and has a source terminal connected to the power supply voltage and a gate terminal connected to a drain terminal of the third PMOS transistor applying an enable signal and an output terminal of the CMOS switch applying a bias voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 3, wherein the CMOS switch comprises one PMOS transistor and one NMOS transistor, and has a structure in which source and drain terminals of the PMOS transistor are connected to drain and source terminals of the NMOS transistor, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 3, wherein, in a suspend mode, the enable signal is set to ‘0’ to turn off the CMOS switch and to turn on the third PMOS transistor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 1, wherein the comparator comprises:
a first input unit configured to receive the first and second output signals of the first input level shifter forming the input level shifter; and
a second input unit configured to receive the first and second comparison output signals of the second input level shifter forming the input level shifter, and
the sum of currents of the first and second output signals and the sum of currents of the first and second comparison output signals are compared to detect a squelch state.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 6, wherein, when the sum of currents of the first and second output signals is smaller than the sum of currents of the first and second comparison output signals, the comparator generates a squelch signal to detect a squelch state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 1, wherein the reset signal generator comprises:
a signal conversion detector configured to receive differential signals outputted from the input level shifter and convert the received signals into said single signal; and
a counter configured to count a signal outputted from the signal conversion detector and generate a reset value for the elastic buffer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 8, wherein the signal conversion detector comprises:
an amplifier configured to differentially receive the first and second output signals outputted from the first input level shifter forming the input level shifter through first and second input terminals thereof, respectively, and convert the received signals into a single signal;
a delay cell configured to receive the single signal and generate a delayed signal having a delay value with respect to the time; and
an XOR logic circuit configured to receive the single signal and the delayed signal and perform an XOR operation on the received signals.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 8, wherein the counter comprises a D flip-flop configured to use a first clock signal as a clock signal of internal circuits and use an output signal of a current stage as a clock signal of the next stage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 10, wherein, when an output signal of the signal conversion detector is not changed, the counter is reset to ‘0’, counts a clock signal, and generates a squelch signal and a reset signal to reset the elastic buffer after a predetermined time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 11, wherein the squelch signal is generated by an AND logic circuit configured to receive a logic value ‘1’ of the squelch signal generated by the comparator and a logic value ‘1’ of the reset signal for the elastic buffer, which is outputted from the counter, and perform an AND operation on the received values.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 10, wherein, when an output signal of the signal conversion detector is changed, the counter is reset to ‘1’ regardless of a clock signal so as not to continuously count.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The squelch detection circuit of claim 1, wherein the high-speed serial communication comprises USB 2.0.