The present disclosure relates to driver circuits for use in data transmission systems, and more particularly, to techniques of reducing an overshoot of an output voltage.
Low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) is used as an interface for data transmission between each image processing LSI circuit or between an image processing LSI circuit and a display driver in a digital television. There are a number of standards for LVDS, including IEEE Standard 1596.3-1996, mini-LVDS, sub-LVDS, etc. A driver circuit may be connected to various receiver circuits.
Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 2005-109897 and 2008-199236 describe example configurations of the LVDS driver circuit. For example,
In the system of
For example, it is assumed that a power supply voltage VDDT for the transmitter LSI circuit is 3.3 V, a power supply voltage VDDR for the receiver LSI circuit is 1.8 V, and the process breakdown voltage of the receiver LSI circuit is 2.5 V. In this case, if a signal exceeding the process breakdown voltage (2.5 V) of the receiver LSI circuit is transmitted from the transmitter LSI circuit to the receiver LSI circuit, the receiver LSI circuit may be damaged. Because the common-mode potential is 1.25 V, a problem does not particularly arise during normal operation. However, in a transient state (e.g., when the power supply rises, etc.), an overshoot occurs in the output voltage of the driver circuit, likely leading to a problem.
In particular, if the driver circuit employs a feedback configuration in order to stabilize the common-mode potential, the overshoot problem becomes more significant.
The present disclosure describes implementations of a driver circuit for use in a transmission system which reliably establishes connection to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage by reducing an overshoot of an output voltage during the start of operation etc.
An example driver circuit according to the present disclosure includes an output circuit configured to receive a data signal, and output a differential signal based on the data signal, a constant current source configured to supply a constant current to the output circuit, or extract a constant current from the output circuit, a current source control circuit configured to receive a predetermined reference voltage and a common-mode potential of the differential signal, and control the constant current source so that the common-mode potential becomes equal to the predetermined reference potential, and an overshoot reduction circuit connected to an input line of the common-mode potential of the current source control circuit, and having a function to reduce an overshoot of the common-mode potential. The overshoot reduction circuit receives a control signal to select whether or not to perform the overshoot reduction operation, and when selecting, based on the control signal, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, reduces the overshoot of the common-mode potential.
The example driver circuit includes the overshoot reduction circuit which receives a control signal to select whether or not to perform the overshoot reduction operation, and when selecting, based on the control signal, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, reduces the overshoot of the common-mode potential. As a result, an overshoot of an output voltage during the start of operation etc. can be reduced, and therefore, the driver circuit can be reliably connected to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage.
The overshoot reduction circuit, when selecting, based on the control signal, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, causes a short circuit in the input line of the reference voltage and the input line of the common-mode potential of the current source control circuit. As a result, the common-mode potential can be forcibly clamped to the reference voltage, and therefore, the common-mode potential can be directly input to the output terminal, whereby the amount of the overshoot can be minimized. Also, such a considerably simple configuration can be used to reduce or prevent the overshoot of the output voltage of the driver circuit, resulting in a low-power, small-area, and low-cost driver circuit which can reduce the overshoot.
Also, the overshoot reduction circuit, when selecting, based on the control signal, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, causes a short circuit in both ends of a resistance element provided between an output line of the common-mode potential of the output circuit and the input line of the common-mode potential of the current source control circuit. This configuration can temporarily increase a frequency characteristic of the current source control circuit, whereby the overshoot of the output voltage can be reduced. Also, the clamp voltage is not required, and such a considerably simple configuration can be used to reduce or prevent the overshoot of the output voltage of the driver circuit, resulting in a low-power, small-area, and low-cost driver circuit which can reduce the overshoot.
According to the present disclosure, the overshoot reduction circuit can reduce the overshoot of the output voltage during the start of operation etc., and therefore, it is possible to provide a driver circuit which can be connected to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The driver circuit of
The output circuit 2 includes PMOS transistors MP2 and MP3 and NMOS transistors MN2 and MN3. The transistors MP2 and MN2 are connected together in series, and both receive the data signal NDIN at the gates thereof. The transistors MP3 and MN3 are also connected together in series, and both receive the data signal DIN at the gates thereof. The transistors MP2 and MN2 and the transistors MP3 and MN3 are connected in parallel between the power supply and the ground. The output circuit 2 outputs the differential signal by changing the direction of a current flowing through the terminating resistor RT between the output terminals TD and NTD, depending on the polarities of the data signals DIN and NDIN. When the data is positive, the transistors MP2 and MN3 are turned on, so that a current flows in the direction of MP2→TD→NTD→MN3. Conversely, when the data is negative, the transistors MP3 and MN2 are turned on, so that a current flows in the direction of MP3→NTD→TD→MN2.
The constant current source 1 includes a PMOS transistor MP1 provided between the power supply and the output circuit 2. The constant current source 3 includes an NMOS transistor MN1 provided between the output circuit 2 and the ground. Adjustment voltages VBP and VBN output from the current source control circuit 4 are input to the gates of the transistors MP1 and MN1, respectively.
Two lines are extracted from the output terminals TD and NTD via resistors R2 and R3. The two lines are connected together as the output line of the common-mode potential VCMN. A resistance element R1 is provided between the output lines of the common-mode potential VCMN of the output circuit 2 and an input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4. A capacitance element C1 is provided between an end closer to the current source control circuit 4 of the resistance element R1 and the ground. The resistance element R1 and the capacitance element C1 form a low-pass filter which cuts off an AC component of the common-mode potential VCMN.
The current source control circuit 4 includes a common-mode feedback amplifier (CMFBA) 11. An enable signal DRV_EN for the driver circuit is input to the common-mode feedback amplifier (CMFBA) 11. When the enable signal DRV_EN is high, the driver circuit is in an enabled state, and when the enable signal DRV_EN is low, the driver circuit is in a power-down state. An inverted version of the enable signal DRV_EN is indicated by NDRV_EN. A PMOS transistor MP10 is situated between interconnects of the adjustment voltage VBP and the power supply. The enable signal DRV_EN is input to the gate of the PMOS transistor MP10. An NMOS transistor MN20 is situated between interconnects of the adjustment voltage VBN and the ground. The inverted signal NDRV_EN is input to the gate of the NMOS transistor MN20.
Although
The configuration of
Specifically, the overshoot reduction circuit 5 includes a switch SW5 which is provided between the input line of the reference voltage VREF and the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4, and based on the control signal CONT1, sets whether or not to cause a short circuit in these two input lines. When the overshoot reduction circuit 5 selects, based on the control signal CONT1, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, the switch SW5 causes a short circuit in the two input lines. By this short-circuit operation, the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN is forcibly clamped to the reference voltage VREF.
In the configuration of
In other words, the resistance element R1 and the capacitance element C1 forming the low-pass filter typically have a large value in order to reliably cut off a high frequency component of the common-mode potential VCMN. Therefore, the response characteristic of the current source control circuit 4 is reduced, and therefore, an overshoot is highly likely to occur due to a transient response during the start of operation after the power supply is turned on, for example. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the overshoot reduction circuit 5 selects, based on the control signal CONT1, to perform the overshoot reduction operation during a period of time in which an overshoot is highly likely to occur. As a result, the overshoot reduction circuit 5 causes a short circuit in the input line of the reference voltage VREF and the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4. By this short-circuit operation, the common-mode potential VCMN is forcibly clamped to the reference voltage VREF, whereby the overshoot of the output voltage can be reduced or prevented.
In this embodiment, the overshoot reduction circuit 5 is provided which receives the control signal CONT1 to select whether or not to perform the overshoot reduction operation, and when selecting, based on the control signal CONT1, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, reduces the overshoot of the common-mode potential VCMN. As a result, the driver circuit can be connected to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage.
Also, the overshoot reduction circuit 5, when selecting, based on the control signal CONT1, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, causes a short circuit in the input line of the reference voltage VREF and the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4. With this configuration, the common-mode potential VCMN can be forcibly clamped to the reference voltage VREF, and therefore, the common-mode potential can be directly input to the output terminal, whereby the amount of the overshoot can be minimized. Also, such a considerably simple configuration can be used to reduce or prevent the overshoot of the output voltage of the driver circuit, resulting in a low-power, small-area, and low-cost driver circuit which can reduce the overshoot.
The driver circuit of
Specifically, the overshoot reduction circuit 6 includes a switch SW6 which is connected to both ends of the resistance element R1 provided between the output line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the output circuit 2 and the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4, and based on the control signal CONT2, sets whether or not to cause a short circuit in both ends of the resistance element R1. When the overshoot reduction circuit 6 selects, based on the control signal CONT2, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, the switch SW6 causes a short circuit in both ends of the resistance element R1. This short-circuit operation can temporarily increase a frequency characteristic of the current source control circuit 4, whereby the overshoot of the output voltage can be reduced or prevented.
The overshoot reduction circuit 6 will be implemented, for example, using the circuit configuration of
In this embodiment, the overshoot reduction circuit 6 is provided which receives the control signal CONT2 to select whether or not to perform the overshoot reduction operation, and when selecting, based on the control signal CONT2, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, reduces the overshoot of the common-mode potential VCMN. As a result, the driver circuit can be connected to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage.
Also, the overshoot reduction circuit 6, when selecting, based on the control signal CONT2, to perform the overshoot reduction operation, causes a short circuit in both ends of the resistance element R1 provided between the output line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the output circuit 2 and the input line of the common-mode potential VCMN of the current source control circuit 4. With this configuration, the frequency characteristic of the current source control circuit 4 can be temporarily increased, whereby the overshoot of the output voltage can be reduced. Also, the clamp voltage is not required, and such a considerably simple configuration can be used to reduce or prevent the overshoot of the output voltage of the driver circuit, resulting in a low-power, small-area, and low-cost driver circuit which can reduce the overshoot.
In the driver circuits of the first and second embodiments, the timing of performing the overshoot reduction operation can be arbitrarily controlled based on the control signals CONT1 and CONT2. Note that the overshoot of the output voltage is highly likely to occur after the power supply is turned on. On the other hand, when the overshoot reduction operation is performed, the noise of the common-mode potential VCMN increases. Therefore, the control signals CONT1 and CONT2 are preferably set so that the overshoot reduction operation is selected to be performed during a predetermined period of time after the power supply of the driver circuit is turned on, and the overshoot reduction operation is selected not to be performed after the predetermined period of time has elapsed. By performing such a control, a reduction in an overshoot after the power supply is turned on, and lower-noise operation during normal operation, can both be achieved.
By the above control, an overshoot during the start of driver operation is reduced to a low level, and therefore, the common-mode potential VCMN does not exceed the receiver's breakdown voltage. Noise which would occur during the predetermined period of time Tcont or Tcont′ does not occur after the overshoot reduction operation is stopped. Thus, a reduction in an overshoot during the start of driver operation and lower-noise operation during normal operation can both be achieved.
Note that, in each of the above embodiments, constant current sources are provided on both sides of the power supply and the ground of an output circuit, and the currents of both of the constant current sources are adjusted by a current source control circuit. Alternatively, for example, a constant current source may be provided on only one side of the power supply or the ground, and the constant current source may be adjusted by a current source control circuit. Alternatively, a constant current source may be provided on only one side of the power supply or the ground of an output circuit, a resistance element may be provided on the other side instead of a constant current source. In this case, only the constant current source may be adjusted by a current source control circuit.
The first and second embodiments may be used in combination. For example, the overshoot reduction circuit 5 of
Although the control signals CONT1 and CONT2 are input to an external pin provided in the overshoot reduction circuit in the above embodiments, the control signals CONT1 and CONT2 may be connected to a register which can be externally read and written by software and may be controlled by software, or may be signals fixed to the power supply or the ground by hardware.
The present disclosure can provide a driver circuit which can be connected to a receiver circuit having a different power supply voltage or process breakdown voltage, and therefore, can improve the versatility of a driver circuit in, for example, LVDS data transmission.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-216523 | Sep 2009 | JP | national |
This is a continuation of PCT International Application PCT/JP2010/004420 filed on Jul. 6, 2010, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-216523 filed on Sep. 18, 2009. The disclosures of these applications including the specifications, the drawings, and the claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2010/004420 | Jul 2010 | US |
Child | 13412258 | US |