Method and apparatus for improving a load independent buffer
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsVinu K. Elias, Chih-Liang Leon Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are apparatus, system, and method for reducing electrical over-stress of transistors and for generating an output with deterministic duty cycle for load independent buffers. The apparatus comprises a feedback capacitor electrically coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of a buffer; and a switch, electrically parallel to the feedback capacitor and operable to electrically short the feedback capacitor in response to a control signal, wherein the switch causes a deterministic voltage level on the input terminal.
Claims16
An apparatus comprising:
- an input-output (I/O) transmitter and receiver circuit to couple to a terminal of bi-directional signal line, comprising:
- a feedback capacitor electrically coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of a transmit buffer, wherein the output terminal of the transmit buffer is coupled to the terminal of the bi-directional signal line;
- a switch electrically parallel to the feedback capacitor;
- a receiver circuit having an input electrically coupled to the terminal of the bi-directional signal line;
- and
- a logic unit electrically coupled to the switch, wherein the logic unit is operable to cause the switch to electrically short the feedback capacitor in response to determining whether the transmit buffer is driving data on the terminal of the bi-directional signal line, or whether a receiver is enabled to receive data from the terminal of the bi-directional signal line.
A system comprising:
- an embedded multimedia card (eMMC) unit;
- and
- a processor with a bi-directional input-output (I/O) interface, wherein the bi-directional I/O interface coupled to the eMMC unit, the bi-directional I/O interface comprising:
- a feedback capacitor electrically coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of a transmit buffer of the I/O interface circuit, the output terminal of the transmit buffer coupled to a bi-directional signal line of the bi-directional I/O interface;
- and
- a switch electrically parallel to the feedback capacitor and operable to electrically short the feedback capacitor in response to a control signal that indicates the bi-directional I/O interface circuit is in a transmit mode and not a receive mode;
- a received circuit having an input coupled to the output terminal of the transmit buffer and the bi-directional signal line of the bi-directional I/O interface.
A method comprising:
- electrically coupling a feedback capacitor between an input terminal and an output terminal of a transmit buffer of a bi-directional I/O circuit when the bi-directional I/O circuit is transmitting, wherein the electrically coupling comprising opening a switch along a signal path in parallel with the feedback capacitor;
- and
- electrically shorting by the switch the signal path in parallel with the feedback capacitor in response to a control signal that indicates the bi-directional I/O circuit is in a receive mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.