Signal History Controlled Slew-Rate Transmission Method and Bus Interface Transmitter
A signal history controlled slew-rate transmission method and bus interface transmitter provide an improved channel equalization mechanism having low complexity. A variable slew-rate feed-forward pre-emphasis circuit changes the slew rate of the applied pre-emphasis in conformity with the history of the transmitted signal. The pre-emphasis circuit may be implemented by a pair of current sources supplying the output of the transmitter, and having differing current values. The current sources are controlled such that upon a signal value change, a high slew rate is provided and when the signal value does not change for two consecutive signal periods, the slew rate is reduced. A current source having a controlled magnitude may be employed to provide a slew rate that changes over time and is continuously reduced until another transmission value change occurs.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to electrically connected bus interface circuits, and more particularly, to bus interface circuits having signal history controlled pre-emphasis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interfaces between present-day system devices and also between individual circuits have increased in operating frequency and complexity. In particular, high speed serial bus interfaces typically require sophisticated signal processing in order to achieve maximum bandwidth over cost-effective channel interconnects.
Numerous signaling and reception techniques have been employed to extract the maximum possible data rate from a given channel, for example, feed-forward equalization (FFE) such as signal-history based pre-emphasis/de-emphasis on the transmission side, distributed equalization within the channel in or discrete equalization with respect to the channel characteristics, and receiver-side equalization such as decision feedback equalization, peaking amplifiers, or both linear and adaptive equalizers.
All of the above techniques, although effective, have significant costs in terms of die area, power consumption and complexity. Transmitter-side FFE is most commonly employed, and while desirable, produces sub-optimal signal transmission and reception.
In transmitter-side FFE, the current level provided to interface signal lines is controlled at two or more levels, with the current in intervals where a change in signal value has occurred set to a higher level. In intervals where no change has occurred, the current level is set to a lower current value. Although relatively simple to implement, the transmitter-side FFE current switching scheme yields less than optimal results, in that overshoot typically occurs at the receiver side of the interface for certain data patterns.
It is therefore desirable to provide a bus interface transmitter and transmission method having improved transmitter-side channel equalization characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe objective of improving transmitter-side channel equalization characteristics is accomplished in a bus interface transmitter and transmission method.
The transmitter includes a feed-forward pre emphasis circuit having a variable slew rate. The slew rate is adjusted in conformity with a history of the transmitted signal, providing an improved pre-emphasis characteristic. The method is a method of operation of the bus interface transmitter.
The variable slew rate can be provided by a pair of current sources having different current levels. The weaker of the current sources has a controlled slew-rate that is slower than the stronger of the current sources. The polarity of the weaker current source is controlled by the previous transmission value of the interface signal, and the polarity of the stronger of the current sources is controlled by the present transmission value. The polarity of the two current sources is opposite for the same transmission value. The result is that the slew rate of the overall transmitter output changes to a lower level when the same value is transmitted consecutively. When the interface output current magnitude shifts due to the change in pre-emphasis, the change occurs at a lower slew-rate, suppressing overshoot that would otherwise occur due to channel characteristics.
The weaker current source may also have a dual rate controlled magnitude so that at the beginning of transmission value changes the interface bus is driven with high slew-rate from both the weaker and stronger current sources, until two consecutive same-valued transmissions occur, and then the change in the magnitude of the weaker current source is slowed.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like components, and:
The present invention concerns the control of pre-emphasis in bus transmitter circuits and methods of pre-emphasis for signal transmission on an electrically-connected interface buses. Rather than only changing current level on the interface, the present invention uses dynamic slew-rate control so that when the pre-emphasis current boost is removed, it is removed at a lower rate, reducing the overshoot that would otherwise occur. The slew-rate control controls the rate of change of the current supplied to the interface bus terminal(s) of the transmitter.
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The above-described embodiments disclose the application of a binary-valued input signal to an electrically-connected bus interface terminal. However, it is contemplated that the techniques and structures herein may be applied to multi-level signaling interfaces such as multi-level pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) signals such as PAM4, PAM8, and also in phase-shift modulated signals such as traditional phase-shift key (PSK) and duo-binary signaling. The slew rate control of the present invention may be applied to arbitrary step sizes within any pre-emphasized waveform, with consequent benefits in channel-induced overshoot reduction when pre-emphasis is removed.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form, and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A method of providing an output signal to an interface bus electrically connected to a remote receiver, said method comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- retaining at least one previous value of said input signal;
- applying a current to at least one electrical terminal connected to said interface bus having a polarity selected in conformity with a present value of said input signal, and wherein a rate of change of said current is varied dynamically in conformity with a difference between said present value and said at least one previous value, wherein said applying comprises first applying a primary current to at least one electrical terminal connected to said interface bus, wherein a polarity of said first applying is selected in response to a present value of input signal, and second applying a secondary current to said at least one electrical terminal, wherein a polarity of said applying is selected in response to a previous value of input signal, wherein said secondary current has a predetermined rate of change substantially slower than that of said primary current, and wherein said predetermined rate of change is provided by supplying said at least one previous value to an input of a transmission gate, and coupling an output of said transmission gate to a switch controlling said polarity of said secondary current, whereby an impedance of said transmission gate determines said predetermined rate of change of said secondary current.
12. (canceled)
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising dynamically varying said rate of change of said secondary current.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said rate of change of said secondary current is varied dynamically in conformity with said difference between said present value and said at least one previous value.
15-20. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 22, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 13, 2008
Inventors: Daniel N. De Araujo (Cedar Park, TX), Daniel M. Dreps (Georgetown, TX), Bhyrav M. Mutnury (Austin, TX)
Application Number: 11/466,122
International Classification: H03K 19/0175 (20060101);