Source series terminated driver circuit with programmable output resistance, amplitude reduction, and equalization
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJohn J. Bergkvist, Jr., Carrie E. Cox, Todd E. Leonard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A source-series terminated (‘SST’) driver circuit that includes: one or more data signal inputs; one or more control signal inputs; a driver output; and a plurality of driver cells, the driver cells coupled in parallel to one another, outputs of the driver cells coupled together to form the driver output of the SST driver circuit, where output resistance of the SST driver circuit varies in dependence upon activation of one or more of the parallel driver cells, activation of each driver cell controlled by control signals received at the control signal inputs.
Claims15
A method of operating a source-series terminated (‘SST’) driver circuit, the SST driver circuit comprising one or more data signal inputs, one or more control signal inputs, a driver output, and a plurality of driver cells, the driver cells coupled in parallel to one another, outputs of the driver cells coupled together to form the driver output of the SST driver circuit, wherein output resistance of the SST driver circuit varies in dependence upon activation of one or more of the parallel driver cells, each driver cell includes a first segment and a second segment, each segment comprising a multiplexer;
- activation of each driver cell controlled by control signals received at the control signal inputs, the method comprising:
- programming, by an SST driver circuit controller, the SST driver circuit to effect a target output resistance including providing a predefined set of control signals to the one or more control signal inputs thereby activating a predefined number of the driver cells in accordance with the target output resistance;
- receiving, by the SST driver circuit, one or more data signals at the data transmission signal inputs;
- and
- transmitting, through the activated parallel driver cells and the SST driver circuit output, an output data signal responsive to the received data signals.
A source-series terminated (‘SST’) driver circuit, the SST driver circuit comprising:
- one or more data signal inputs;
- one or more control signal inputs;
- a driver output;
- and
- a plurality of driver cells, the driver cells coupled in parallel to one another, outputs of the driver cells coupled together to form the driver output of the SST driver circuit, wherein each driver cell includes a first segment and a second segment, each segment comprising a multiplexer;
- wherein output resistance of the SST driver circuit varies in dependence upon activation of one or more of the parallel driver cells, activation of each driver cell controlled by control signals received at the control signal inputs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.