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US 9,071,243 B2Granted
Single ended configurable multi-mode driver
AssigneeSilicon Image, Inc.
InventorsSrikanth Gondi, Roger Isaac, Alan Ruberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a single-ended configurable multi-mode driver. An embodiment of an apparatus includes an input to receive an input signal, an output to transmit a driven signal generated from the input signal on a communication channel, a mechanism for independently configuring a termination resistance of the driver apparatus, and a mechanism for independently configuring a voltage swing of the driven signal without modifying a supply voltage for the apparatus.
Claims55
A single-ended driver apparatus for driving signals comprising:
- an input to receive an input signal;
- a drive output to transmit a driven signal generated from the input signal on a communication channel;
- a mechanism for independently:
- configuring a termination resistance of the driver apparatus at the drive output to be a specified resistance value, and
- configuring a voltage swing of the driven signal at the driver output to be a specified voltage swing value without modifying a supply voltage for the apparatus;
- and
- a pulsing mechanism to provide pulsing of the input signal at lower speeds of operation, wherein the pulsing mechanism includes a delay element to delay a low speed signal and a NAND logic element to receive the low speed signal and the delayed low speed signal.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a communication channel;
- a single-ended driver apparatus coupled with the communication channel to provide a driven signal, the single-ended driver apparatus including a mechanism for independently:
- configuring a termination resistance of the single-ended driver apparatus at an output of the driver to be a specified resistance value, and
- configuring a voltage swing of the driven signal at the output of the driver to be a specified voltage swing value without modifying a supply voltage for the single-ended driver apparatus;
- and
- further comprising a feedback circuit to generate a bias voltage for the driver apparatus.
3 more elements
A method for configuring a communication interface comprising:
- determining parameters for an interface between a first device and a second device, the first device including a configurable driver apparatus;
- independently configuring:
- a termination resistance of the driver apparatus of the first device at a driver output to be a specified resistance value based on the determined parameters, and
- a voltage swing of the driver apparatus of the first device at the driver output to be a specified voltage swing value based on the determined parameters without modifying a supply voltage for the first device;
- and
- determining whether a frequency of an input signal for the driver apparatus is less than a threshold value, and, if so, converting an input signal into a signal pulse with a shorter duration than the input signal.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a communication channel;
- a single-ended driver apparatus coupled with the communication channel to provide a driven signal, the single-ended driver apparatus including:
- a mechanism for independently configuring a termination resistance of the single-ended driver apparatus, and
- a mechanism for independently configuring a voltage swing of the driven signal without modifying a supply voltage for the single-ended driver apparatus;
- and
- a feedback circuit to generate a bias voltage for the single-ended driver apparatus, wherein the feedback circuit includes an error generator to generate an error between a required voltage swing and an actual voltage swing of the single-ended driver apparatus.
3 more elements
A method for configuring a communication interface comprising:
- determining parameters for an interface between a first device and a second device, the first device including a configurable driver apparatus;
- independently configuring a termination resistance of the driver apparatus of the first device based on the determined parameters;
- independently configuring a voltage swing of the driver apparatus of the first device based on the determined parameters without modifying a supply voltage for the first device;
- and
- establishing a bias voltage for the driver apparatus of the first device including adjusting a current source in the driver apparatus.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a communication channel;
- a single-ended driver apparatus coupled with the communication channel to provide a driven signal, the single-ended driver apparatus including a mechanism for independently:
- configuring a termination resistance of the single-ended driver apparatus at an output of the driver to be a specified resistance value, and
- configuring a voltage swing of the driven signal at the output of the driver to be a specified voltage swing value without modifying a supply voltage for the single-ended driver apparatus;
- and
- an input pulsing mechanism, wherein the input pulsing mechanism operates to convert an input bit signal into a pulse signal with a smaller width than the original input bit signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.