Slave device enhancing data rate of DSI3 bus

1. A communications method that comprises:

converting a binary data stream into a ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level channel signal using an encoder that maps binary nibbles to a set of ternary triplets, each triplet in the set having an average level between 2/3 and 4/3 inclusive, and each triplet including at least one internal transition between levels; and

driving the channel signal as an electrical current on a signal conductor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal conductor is a Distributed System Interface (DSI) coupling an automotive sensor to an electronic control unit (ECU).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said converting includes filtering a stream of ternary triplets from the encoder using a pulse-shaping filter, the pulse-shaping filter being one of: a sinc filter, a Hann filter, a Hamming filter, a Blackman filter, and a Nuttall filter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said driving includes applying a transmit correction filter to the channel signal to attenuate high-frequency components of the channel signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the signal conductor couples the channel signal to a receiver having a receive correction filter, the correction filter boosting said high-frequency components to compensate for effects of the transmit correction filter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said binary data stream is generated using a scrambling mask.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said binary data stream is framed into fixed length messages, each message being preceded by a synchronization preamble.

8. A slave device that couples to an DSI3 (3rd generation distributed system interface) bus, the slave device including:

an encoder that converts a binary data stream into a ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream by mapping binary nibbles to a set of ternary triplets, each triplet in the set having an average level between 2/3 and 4/3 inclusive, and each triplet including at least one internal transition between levels;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the encoder to generate a channel signal that conveys the ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream; and

a driver that drives the channel signal as an electrical current on a signal conductor of the DSI3 bus.

9. The slave device of claim 8 , wherein the slave device is an automotive sensor that generates the binary data stream to convey measurements to a electronic control unit (ECU).

10. The slave device of claim 8 , further comprising a pulse shaping filter that filters the ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream to provide a pulse-shaped signal to the analog-to-digital converter, the pulse-shaping filter being one of: a sinc filter, a Hann filter, a Hamming filter, a Blackman filter, and a Nuttall filter.

11. The slave device of claim 8 , further comprising a transmit correction filter that filters the channel signal to attenuate high-frequency components of the channel signal before the driver drives the signal on the signal conductor.

12. The slave device of claim 11 , wherein the signal conductor couples the channel signal to a receiver having a receive correction filter, the receive correction filter boosting said high-frequency components to compensate for effects of the transmit correction filter.

13. The slave device of claim 8 , further comprising a scrambler that uses a scrambling mask to generate the binary data stream.

14. The slave device of claim 8 , further comprising a controller that frames said binary data stream is framed into fixed length messages, each message being preceded by a synchronization preamble.

15. A method of manufacturing a slave device that couples to an DSI3 (3rd generation distributed system interface) bus, the method including:

creating an encoder to convert a binary data stream into a ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream by mapping binary nibbles to a set of ternary triplets, each triplet in the set having an average level between 2/3 and 4/3 inclusive, and each triplet including at least one internal transition between levels;

coupling the encoder to an analog-to-digital converter to generate a channel signal that conveys the ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream; and

providing a driver to drive the channel signal as an electrical current on a signal conductor of the DSI3 bus.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising packaging the slave device as an automotive sensor that generates the binary data stream to convey measurements to a electronic control unit (ECU.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein said coupling is performed via a pulse shaping filter that filters the ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream to provide a pulse-shaped signal to the analog-to-digital converter, the pulse-shaping filter being one of: a sinc filter, a Hann filter, a Hamming filter, a Blackman filter, and a Nuttall filter.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling the analog-to-digital converter to the driver via a transmit correction filter that filters the channel signal to attenuate high-frequency components of the channel signal before the driver drives the signal on the signal conductor.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: providing a scrambler that uses a scrambling mask to generate the binary data stream.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: configuring the encoder to frame the ternary unipolar non-return-to-zero level data stream into fixed length messages, each message being preceded by a synchronization preamble.