Universal single-ended parallel bus
View Patent ↗A high speed data communication system uses a single-ended bus architecture with a reference signal extracted from a differential periodic signal that is transmitted along with single-ended data. By using a periodic signal such a clock signal with approximately 50% duty cycle, a much more stable and accurate reference signal is established for receiving single-ended data.
1. A communication device, comprising:
a first buffer that is operable to:
receive a first signal; and
process the first signal thereby extracting a clock signal from the first signal;
a second buffer that is operable to:
receive the first signal; and
process the first signal thereby generating a processed signal; and
a third buffer that is operable to:
receive a second signal; and
process the second signal and the processed signal that is generated by the second buffer thereby determining at least one bit value within the second signal.
2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first signal is a differential signal.
3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first buffer is a first differential buffer;
the second buffer is a second differential buffer; and
the third buffer is a third differential buffer.
4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the communication device is coupled to at least one additional communication device;
the communication device is a receiver; and
the at least one additional communication device is a transmitter.
5. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first buffer is a first differential buffer;
the first signal is a differential signal;
the communication device is coupled to at least one additional communication device;
the communication device is a receiver;
the at least one additional communication device is a transmitter; and
the at least one additional communication device includes a second differential buffer that transmits the first signal.
6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the data signal and the processed signal form a differential signal; and
the third buffer is a differential buffer that is operable to receive the differential signal.
7. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the communication device is an integrated circuit; and
the integrated circuit is coupled to at least one additional integrated circuit via at least one data line.
8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the communication device is an integrated circuit; and
the integrated circuit is coupled to at least one additional integrated circuit via at least one differential signal line.
9. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first buffer is operable to receive the processed signal from the second buffer.
10. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first buffer is operable to employ the processed signal when extracting the clock signal from the first signal.
11. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer includes a differential pair that includes:
a current source;
a first differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the first differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source; and
a second differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the second differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source.
12. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first signal is a differential clock signal that is received by the communication device; and
the clock signal, that is generated from the differential clock signal, is an internal clock signal of the communication device.
13. A communication device, comprising:
a first buffer that is operable to:
receive a first signal, wherein the first signal is a differential signal; and
process the first signal thereby generating a processed signal; and
a second buffer that is operable to:
receive a second signal; and
process the second signal and the processed signal that is generated by the second buffer thereby determining at least one bit value within the second signal.
14. The communication device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third buffer that is operable to:
receive a differential signal; and
process the differential signal thereby extracting a clock signal from the differential signal.
15. The communication device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third buffer that is operable to:
receive a differential signal; and
employ the processed signal that is generated by the first buffer when processing the differential signal thereby extracting a clock signal from the differential signal.
16. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein:
the communication device is an integrated circuit; and
the integrated circuit is coupled to at least one additional integrated circuit via at least one data line.
17. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein:
the communication device is an integrated circuit; and
the integrated circuit is coupled to at least one additional integrated circuit via at least one differential signal line.
18. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein:
at least one of the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer includes a differential pair that includes:
a current source;
a first differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the first differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source; and
a second differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the second differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source.
19. A communication system, comprising:
a first integrated circuit that is operable to transmit a differential signal;
a second integrated circuit that is operable to:
receive the differential signal;
process the differential signal thereby extracting a clock signal from the differential signal; and wherein:
the first integrated circuit is operable to transmit data to the second integrated circuit; and
the second integrated circuit is operable to employ the differential signal to determine bit values within the data that is transmitted thereto from the first integrated circuit.
20. The communication device of claim 19 , wherein:
at least one of the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit includes a differential pair that includes:
a current source;
a first differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the first differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source; and
a second differential NMOS transistor having a source, gate, and drain, wherein the source of the second differential NMOS transistor is coupled to the current source.