Abstract: An output data strobe signal generating method and a memory system that includes a plurality of semiconductor memory devices, and a memory controller for controlling the semiconductor memory devices, wherein the memory controller provides a command signal and a chip selecting signal to the semiconductor memory devices. One or more of the semiconductor memory devices may detect a read command and a dummy read command in response to the command signal and the chip selecting signal and generate one or more preamble signals based on a calculated preamble cycle number.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device having an open bitline memory structure from which an edge dummy memory block is removed, the semiconductor memory device includes a memory block, an edge sense amplification block including a first sense amplifier having a first bitline, a first complementary bitline, and a first amplification circuit comprising a first transistor having a first size, a central sense amplification block including a second sense amplifier having a second bitline, a second complementary bitline, and a second amplification circuit comprising a second transistor having a second size different from the first size, a capacitor block electrically connected to the edge sense amplification block.

Abstract: DC balance encoded data is transmitted by transmitting a preamble of dummy data that is configured to provide an intermediate number of bits of a given logic value that is at least one bit of the given logic value but less than a maximum number of bits of the given logic value in the DC balance encoded data, to thereby reduce the simultaneous switching noise that is caused by transmission of a first word of DC balance encoded data. The preamble may contain one or more words of fixed and/or variable dummy data.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, a parallel interface system and methods thereof are provided.

Abstract: A latency signal generator and method thereof are provided. The example latency signal generator may include a sampling clock signal generator adjusting a plurality of initial sampling clock signals based on a received clock signal to generate a plurality of adjusted sampling clock signals, a latch enable signal supply unit adjusting a plurality of initial latch enable signals based on a given one of the plurality of initial sampling clock signals to generate a plurality of adjusted latch enable signals and a latch unit including a plurality of latency latches, each of the plurality of latency latches selectively latching a given internal read command based on one of the plurality of adjusted sampling clock signals and one of the plurality of adjusted latch enable signals.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices, a system including said semiconductor devices and methods thereof are provided. An example semiconductor device may receive data scheduled for transmission, scramble an order of bits within the received data, the scrambled order arranged in accordance with a given pseudo-random sequence. The received data may be balanced such that a difference between a first number of the bits within the received data equal to a first logic level and a second number of bits within the received data equal to a second logic level is below a threshold. The balanced and scrambled received data may then be transmitted. The example semiconductor device may perform the scrambling and balancing operations in any order. Likewise, on a receiving end, another semiconductor device may decode the original data by unscrambling and unbalancing the transmitted data. The unscrambling and unbalancing operations may be performed in an order based upon the order in which the transmitted data is scrambled and balanced.

Abstract: A bitline precharge voltage generator comprises a leakage trimming unit and a bitline precharge voltage providing unit. The leakage trimming unit applies a leakage current to an output node to place a bitline precharge voltage at an edge of a dead zone. The bitline precharge voltage providing unit provides the bitline precharge voltage to the output node, and sets the bitline precharge voltage to a target level. The bitline precharge voltage generator generates the bitline precharge voltage having a distribution including the dead zone.

Abstract: A latency control circuit and method thereof and auto-precharge control circuit and method thereof are provided. The example latency control circuit may include a master unit activating at least one master signal based on a reference signal and an internal clock signal and a plurality of slave units receiving the at least one master signal, each of the plurality of slave units receiving a plurality of signals and outputting an output signal based at least in part upon one of the received plurality of signals. The example method of latency control may include receiving at least one master signal, the received at least one master signal activated based on a reference signal and an internal clock signal and receiving a plurality of signals and outputting an output signal based at least in part upon one of the received plurality of signals and latency information.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, a parallel interface system and methods thereof are provided.

Abstract: A circuit for eliminating a skew between data and a clock signal in an interface between a semiconductor memory device and a memory controller includes an edge information storage unit which stores edge information output from the semiconductor memory device, a pseudo data pattern generating unit which outputs pseudo data including a pattern similar to actually transmitted data, a phase detecting unit which receives the edge information from the edge information storage unit and the pseudo data from the pseudo data pattern generating unit to detect a phase difference between the data and the clock signal and generate a corresponding detection result, and a phase control unit which controls a phase of the clock signal according to the corresponding detection result from the phase detecting unit, so as to eliminate a per-data input/output pin skew in a data write and read operation of the semiconductor memory device.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array block including a plurality of memory cells each connected to one of a plurality of bit lines and one of a plurality of word lines, a sense amplifier connected to a half of the plurality of bit lines, the sense amplifier for sensing and amplifying a voltage between each of the half of the bit lines and a corresponding complementary bit line; and a dummy block connected to the half of the plurality of bit lines of the memory cell array block, the dummy block for controlling a load on the memory cell array block to be different from a load on the dummy block according to a dummy load signal.

Abstract: A bit line pre-charge circuit for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) uses a charge sharing scheme. The pre-charge circuit includes switching elements disposed between a power voltage node and an output node, capacitors connected between intermediate nodes and ground. The switching elements being operated by successively activated control signals to effectively charge a bit line pair to one half a power voltage using charge sharing between the capacitors.

Abstract: A circuit for eliminating a skew between data and a clock signal in an interface between a semiconductor memory device and a memory controller includes an edge information storage unit which stores edge information output from the semiconductor memory device, a pseudo data pattern generating unit which outputs pseudo data including a pattern similar to actually transmitted data, a phase detecting unit which receives the edge information from the edge information storage unit and the pseudo data from the pseudo data pattern generating unit to detect a phase difference between the data and the clock signal and generate a corresponding detection result, and a phase control unit which controls a phase of the clock signal according to the corresponding detection result from the phase detecting unit, so as to eliminate a per-data input/output pin skew in a data write and read operation of the semiconductor memory device.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is provided. The semiconductor memory device supplies to a sense amplifier a first voltage and a second voltage during data sensing, so that data sensing margin and a data sensing speed increase.

Abstract: An output data strobe signal generating method and a memory system that includes a plurality of semiconductor memory devices, and a memory controller for controlling the semiconductor memory devices, wherein the memory controller provides a command signal and a chip selecting signal to the semiconductor memory devices. One or more of the semiconductor memory devices may detect a read command and a dummy read command in response to the command signal and the chip selecting signal and generate one or more preamble signals based on a calculated preamble cycle number.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices, a system including said semiconductor devices and methods thereof are provided. An example semiconductor device may receive data scheduled for transmission, scramble an order of bits within the received data, the scrambled order arranged in accordance with a given pseudo-random sequence. The received data may be balanced such that a difference between a first number of the bits within the received data equal to a first logic level and a second number of bits within the received data equal to a second logic level is below a threshold. The balanced and scrambled received data may then be transmitted. The example semiconductor device may perform the scrambling and balancing operations in any order. Likewise, on a receiving end, another semiconductor device may decode the original data by unscrambling and unbalancing the transmitted data. The unscrambling and unbalancing operations may be performed in an order based upon the order in which the transmitted data is scrambled and balanced.

Abstract: A latency signal generating method and a corresponding semiconductor memory device, among other things, are disclosed. Such a method includes: receiving a clock signal for the semiconductor memory device; receiving a mode characterization signal; providing the DQS; and adapting the duration of a preamble state of the DQS according to the mode characterization signal to promote conformance of a strobe state of the DQS with the clock signal.

Abstract: DC balance encoded data is transmitted by transmitting a preamble of dummy data that is configured to provide an intermediate number of bits of a given logic value that is at least one bit of the given logic value but less than a maximum number of bits of the given logic value in the DC balance encoded data, to thereby reduce the simultaneous switching noise that is caused by transmission of a first word of DC balance encoded data. The preamble may contain one or more words of fixed and/or variable dummy data.

Abstract: A high-speed double or quadrature data rate interface semiconductor device and a method thereof are provided. A transmitter (e.g., a data transmitting semiconductor device) for high-speed data transmission transmits a first strobe signal and a second strobe signal, which have a phase difference of 90 degrees there-between, a first group (byte of) data, and a second group (byte of) data. The transmitter adjusts the phase of at least one of the first and second strobe signals based on phase-error information fed back from a receiver and then transmits the phase-adjusted strobe signal to the receiver. The receiver receives the first and second strobe signals from the transmitter and receives the first group (byte of) data and the second group (byte of) data using the first and second strobe signals. The receiver does not require a phase-locked loop (PLL) or a delay-locked loop (DLL), thereby decreasing the circuit area and power consumption of the receiver.

Abstract: A data path circuit of a semiconductor memory device includes: a bit line sense amplifier driven by a first power supply voltage; a local input/output line sense amplifier; a column selecting unit operatively connecting a pair of bit lines connected to the bit line sense amplifier and a pair of local input/output lines connected to the local input/output line sense amplifier in response to a column selection signal; and a local input/output line precharge unit precharging the pair of local input/output lines with a second power supply voltage different from the first power supply voltage during a period for which the column selection signal is in an inactive state.