IP Library Granted Patent US 9,910,482
Granted Patent B2
US 9,910,482 · App. 14/863,890 · Granted Mar 6, 2018

Memory interface with adjustable voltage and termination and methods of use

Inventors: Michael Brunolli (Escondido, CA); Stephen Thilenius (San Diego, CA); Patrick Isakanian (El Dorado Hills, CA); Vaishnav Srinivas (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
G06F1/3275G06F1/32G06F1/3209G06F1/3287G06F1/3296G06F13/16G06F13/4086G06F13/4243G11C7/1072G11C11/4074H04L25/0278Y02B60/1228Y02B60/1285Y02B60/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,910,482
App. No.
14/863,890
Granted
Mar 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory interface includes: a pull-up device and a pull-down device, wherein the pull-up device couples between a power rail and a data line, and wherein the pull-down device couples between the data line and ground; and a power supply configured to supply a first power supply voltage to the power rail during a terminated data transmission mode in which a receiving memory interface coupled to the data line has an active on-die termination, and wherein the power supply is further configured to supply a second power supply voltage to the power rail during an unterminated data transmission mode in which the on-die termination does not load the data line, the second power supply voltage being less than the first power supply voltage.

Claims (26)

1. A system, comprising:

a receiving memory interface;

a transmitting memory interface in communication with the receiving memory interface over a transmission line, the transmitting memory interface having:

a pull-up device;

a pull-down device, wherein the pull-up device couples between a power rail and the transmission line, and wherein the pull-down device couples between the transmission line and ground; and

a power supply configured to supply a first power supply voltage to the power rail during a terminated data transmission mode in which the receiving memory interface coupled to the data line has an active on-die termination to ground, wherein the active on-die termination is coupled to the transmitting memory interface over the transmission line, and wherein the active on-die termination to ground is located at the receiving memory interface, and wherein the power supply is further configured to supply a second power supply voltage to the power rail during an unterminated data transmission mode in which the on-die termination does not load the transmission line, the second power supply voltage being less than the first power supply voltage.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) interface.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the DRAM interface comprises a Low-Power 4 th generation Double Data Rate (LPDDR4) DRAM interface.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises at least one of a linear dropout voltage regulator and a switched mode power supply.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pull-up device and pull-down device comprise N-type field effect transistors (NFETs).

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the on-die termination matches a characteristic impedance of the transmission line.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is included in a system on chip (SoC).

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to provide a control signal to the power supply to cause the power supply to supply either the first power supply voltage or the second power supply voltage.

9. A system, comprising:

a receiving memory interface;

a transmitting memory interface in communication with a receiving memory interface over a transmission line, the transmitting memory interface having:

means for transmitting a binary one;

means for transmitting a binary zero, wherein the means for transmitting the binary one couples between a power rail and the transmission line, and wherein the means for transmitting a binary zero couples between the transmission line and ground; and

means for applying a first power supply voltage to the power rail during a terminated data transmission mode in which the receiving memory interface coupled to the transmission line has an active on-die termination to ground, wherein the active on-die termination is coupled to the transmitting memory interface over the transmission line, and wherein the active on-die termination to ground is located at the receiving memory interface, and for applying a second power supply voltage to the power rail during an unterminated data transmission mode in which the on-die termination does not load the transmission line, the second power supply voltage being less than the first power supply voltage.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the means for transmitting a binary one in the means for transmitting a binary zero comprise N-type field effect transistors (NFETs).

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is included in a system on chip (SoC).

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the receiving memory interface is included in a memory chip.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an additional power supply of the receiving memory interface.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

second means for applying the first power supply voltage at the receiving memory interface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2016
From: BRUNOLLI, MICHAEL; THILENIUS, STEPHEN; ISAKANIAN, PATRICK; SRINIVAS, VAISHNAV
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 038088/0608 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170090546A1 · Mar 30, 2017