The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Korean application number 10-2015-0099337, filed on Jul. 13, 2015, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Technical Field
Various embodiments generally relate to a communication system, and more particularly, to an interface circuit for communication and a system including the interface circuit for the communication.
2. Related Art
Electronic products for personal uses, such as a personal computer, a tablet PC, a laptop computer and a smart phone, may be constructed by various electronic components. Two different electronic components in the electronic products may communicate at a high speed to process a large amount of data within a short time. The electronic components may generally communicate through interface circuits. The electronic components may communicate in various schemes. For example, a serial communication scheme may be used by the electronic components to communicate.
As the performances of electronic components are improved, demand for a communication scheme capable of increasing bandwidth and reducing power consumption has increased. In order to meet such demands, various new serial communication schemes are suggested in the art, and improved interface circuits for supporting the new serial communication schemes are being developed.
In an embodiment, an interface circuit may be provided. The interface circuit may include a decoding block configured to successively receive symbols and each of the symbols having phases, and generate data having a number of bits based on the symbols. The decoding block may provide a first phase and a third phase of a symbol which is inputted first, as first and second bits of the data, and may provide first to third phases of a symbol which is inputted second, as third to fifth bits of the data.
In an embodiment, a system may be provided. The system may include a processor, and a memory configured to communicate with the processor through a wire bus. The memory may include a receiver configured to generate phase symbols based on states of the wire bus, and a decoding block configured to generate data, based on phase symbols which are successively inputted.
Hereinafter, an interface circuit for high speed communication and a system including the same will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings through various examples of embodiments.
Various embodiments may be directed to an interface circuit including encoding and decoding circuits which use a mapping scheme capable of efficiently converting data and symbols, and a system including the same.
Referring to
The system 1 in accordance with an embodiment may communicate in, for example, a balanced code multiphase signal transmission scheme. The master device 110 and the slave device 120 may be coupled through, for example, a 3-wire bus. The 3-wire bus may include a plurality of wire groups, and each wire group may include, for example, 3 wires. The 3 wires of each wire group may be driven to voltage levels corresponding to a symbol to be transmitted from the master device 110 to the slave device 120 or from the slave device 120 to the master device 110. The 3 wires of each wire group may be driven to a high level, a middle level and a low level to transmit the symbol. For example, the high level may be a voltage level corresponding to ¾ V, the middle level may be a voltage level corresponding to ½ V, and the low level may be a voltage level corresponding to ¼ V. However the embodiments are not limited in this manner and different voltage levels may be used for the high, middle, and low voltage levels. The high voltage level greater than the middle voltage level. The middle voltage level less than the high voltage level and greater than the low voltage level. The low voltage level less than the middle voltage level.
Referring to
In order to transmit the first symbol +x, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the high level of ¾ V, the low level of ¼ V and the middle level of ½ V, respectively. In order to transmit the second symbol −x, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the low level of ¼ V, the high level of ¾ V and the middle level of ½ V, respectively. In order to transmit the third symbol +y, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the middle level of ½ V, the high level of ¾ V and the low level of ¼ V, respectively. In order to transmit the fourth symbol −y, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the middle level of ½ V, the low level of ¼ V and the high level of ¾ V, respectively. In order to transmit the fifth symbol +z, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the low level of ¼ V, the middle level of ½ V and the high level of ¾ V, respectively. In order to transmit the sixth symbol −z, the transmitter 112 may change the states of 3 wires A, B and C to the high level of ¾ V, the middle level of ½ V and the low level of ¼ V, respectively.
The slave device 120 may include a receiver 121 and a decoding block 122. The receiver 121 and the decoding block 122 may be an interface circuit for, for example but not limited to, balanced code multiphase signal reception. The receiver 121 may be coupled with the 3-wire bus, and may receive the plurality of multiphase symbols according to the voltage levels of the 3-wire bus. While not illustrated, the receiver 121 may include 3 differential buffers in correspondence to 3 wires. The 3 differential buffers may be coupled with at least 2 of 3 wires A, B and C. For example, a first differential buffer may output the first phase of a multiphase symbol by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference A−B of the first wire and the second wire, a second differential buffer may output the second phase of the multiphase symbol by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference B−C of the second wire and the third wire, and a third differential buffer may output the third phase of the multiphase symbol by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference C−A of the third wire and the first wire. Therefore, the receiver 121 may output the same multiphase symbols as the multiphase symbols transmitted through the transmitter 112 according to the states or voltage levels of the 3-wire bus.
For example, in the case where the first symbol +x is transmitted, the voltage level of the first wire A may be ¾ V, the voltage level of the second wire B may be ¼ V, and the voltage level of the third wire C may be ½ V. The receiver 121 may output the first phase of the multiphase symbol as 1 by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference A−B of +½ V of the first and second wires, may output the second phase of the multiphase symbol as 0 by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference B−C of −¼ V of the second and third wires, and may output the third phase of the multiphase symbol as 0 by differentially amplifying the voltage level difference C−A of −¼ V of the third and first wires.
The decoding block 122 may decode multiphase symbols into data. The decoding block 122 may be, for example but not limited to, a 2:5 demapper which decodes 5 multiphase symbols into 2-bit data. The data D<0:n> may be outputted from the decoding block 122. The encoding scheme of the encoding block 111 and the decoding scheme of the decoding block 122 may be complementary to each other. While
In
The slave device 120 may perform various operations by being controlled by the master device 110. The slave device 120 may include components all of which operate by being controlled by the master device 110. For example, the slave device 120 may include, for example but not limited to, a system memory, a power controller, or a module such as a communication module, a multimedia module and an input/output module capable of performing various functions. For instance, the slave device 120 may be a memory device. The memory device may include, for example but not limited to, a volatile memory device such as an SRAM (static RAM), a DRAM (dynamic RAM) and an SDRAM (synchronous DRAM) or may include at least one of nonvolatile memory devices such as a ROM (read only memory), a PROM (programmable ROM), an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), an EPROM (electrically programmable ROM), a flash memory, a PRAM (phase change RAM), an MRAM (magnetic RAM), an RRAM (resistive RAM) and an FRAM (ferroelectric RAM).
The processor 210 may include an interface circuit, and the interface circuit may include the encoding block 111 and the transmitter 112 illustrated in
The processor 210 may control various operations of the memory 220 including, for example but not limited to, a write operation and a read operation. During the write operation, the processor 210 may encode the command and address signal CA into a plurality of multiphase symbols, and transmit the plurality of multiphase symbols to the memory 220 through the wire group 231. The processor 210 may transmit the data strobe signal DQS to the memory 220 through the wire group 232, and may encode the data DQ and the data masking signal DM into a plurality of multiphase symbols and transmit the plurality of multiphase symbols to the memory 220 through the wire group 233. During the read operation, the processor 210 may encode the command and address signal CA into a plurality of multiphase symbols, and transmit the plurality of multiphase symbols to the memory 220 through the wire group 231. During the read operation, the memory 220 may transmit the data strobe signal DQS to the processor 210 through the wire group 232, and may encode the data DQ into a plurality of multiphase symbols and transmit the plurality of multiphase symbols to the processor 210 through the wire group 233.
The decoding block 122 may generate data based on some phases of a symbol which is inputted first and all phases of a symbol which is inputted second. The decoding block 122 may provide the first and third phases of a symbol which is inputted first, as the first and second bits of the data. Also, the decoding block 122 may provide the first to third phases of a symbol which is inputted second, as the third to fifth bits of the data. Since the decoding block 122 provides the phases of a symbol which is inputted second, as they are, as the third to fifth bits of the data, a latency for generation of data may be decreased, and the decoding block 122 may be realized by a substantially simple logic.
In the table, rows may represent symbols which are inputted first, and columns may represent symbols which are inputted second. In the table, the part denoted by the thick solid line represents data which are generated based on the symbols which are inputted first and second. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is the first symbol +x and a symbol which is inputted second is also the first symbol +x, first and third phases 1, 0 of the first symbol +x which is inputted first may be provided as the first and second bits of data, and first to third phases 1, 0, 0 of the first symbol +x which is inputted second may be provided as the third to fifth bits of the data. Accordingly, 5-bit data with the logic levels of 1, 0, 1, 0, 0 may be generated. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is the first symbol +x and a symbol which is inputted second is the second symbol −x, first and third phases 1, 0 of the first symbol +x which is inputted first may be provided as the first and second bits of data, and first to third phases 0, 1, 1 of the second symbol −x which is inputted second may be provided as the third to fifth bits of the data. Accordingly, 5-bit data with the logic levels of 1, 0, 0, 1, 1 may be generated. Similarly, even in the cases where a symbol which is inputted first is the first symbol +x and the third to sixth symbols +y, −y, +z and −z are respectively inputted second, 5-bit data having logic levels corresponding to the phases of the respective symbols may be generated.
In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is the second symbol −x, the first and second bits of the data generated from the decoding block 122 may correspond to first and third phases 0, 1 of the second symbol −x. Accordingly, the first and second bits of the data may have the logic levels of 0, 1. The third to fifth bits of the data may have logic levels respectively corresponding to the first to third phases of a symbol which is inputted second. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is the third symbol +y, the first and second bits of the data generated from the decoding block 122 may correspond to first and third phases 0, 0 of the third symbol +y. Accordingly, the first and second bits of the data may have the logic levels of 0, 0. The third to fifth bits of the data may have logic levels respectively corresponding to the first to third phases of a symbol which is inputted second. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is the fourth symbol −y, the first and second bits of the data generated from the decoding block 122 may correspond to first and third phases 1, 1 of the fourth symbol −y. Accordingly, the first and second bits of the data may have the logic levels of 1, 1. The third to fifth bits of the data may have logic levels respectively corresponding to the first to third phases of a symbol which is inputted second.
In the case where a symbol which is inputted first has specified phases, the decoding block 122 may generate 5-bit data by using some phases of a symbol which is inputted second and a preset logic level. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is a symbol which has specified phases, the decoding block 122 may provide the first and third phases of a symbol which is inputted second, as the first and second bits of data, and provide a first level as the third to fifth bits of the data. The first level may be a low level. In the case where a symbol which is inputted first is a symbol which has other specified phases, the decoding block 122 may provide the first and third phases of a symbol which is inputted second, as the first and second bits of data, and provide a second level as the third to fifth bits of the data. The second level may be a high level. For example, in the case where a symbol which has specified phases is the fifth symbol +z, the third to fifth bits of data may be 0, 0, 0, respectively, and the first and second bits of the data may correspond to the first and third phases of a symbol which is inputted second. For example, in the case where a symbol which is inputted second is the third symbol +y, since the first and third phases of the third symbol +y are 0, 0, respectively, the data generated from the decoding block 122 may be 0, 0, 0, 0, 0. In the case where a symbol which has other specified phases is the sixth symbol −z, the third to fifth bits of data may be 1, 1, 1, respectively, and the first and second bits of the data may correspond to the first and third phases of a symbol which is inputted second. For example, in the case where a symbol which is inputted second is the third symbol +y, the data generated from the decoding block 122 may be 0, 0, 1, 1, 1.
Since the multiphase symbols include the first to sixth symbols +x, −x, +y, −y, +z and −z, the number of combinations of data which may be generated from combinations of the first to sixth symbols +x, −x, +y, −y, +z and −z is 36. However, because the number of 5-bit data is 32, 32 combinations among the combinations of the first to sixth symbols +x, −x, +y, −y, +z and −z may be generated as 32 different 5-bit data. The remaining 4 combinations among the combinations of the first to sixth symbols +x, −x, +y, −y, +z and −z may be utilized for another use. Accordingly, the decoding block 122 may utilize at least one of the remaining 4 combinations, as data masking information or a data masking signal. When symbols with specified phases are successively inputted, the decoding block 122 may generate a data masking signal DM based on the symbols. In
The encoding block 111 illustrated in
The host device 410 may include at least one integrated circuit device such as an application processor and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The large capacity storage device 421 may include at least one storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) and a flash drive through USB coupling. The memory 422 may include any kinds of memory devices. For example, the memory 422 may include, for example but not limited to a volatile memory device such as a DRAM (dynamic RAM), or may include a nonvolatile memory device such as a ROM (read only memory), a PROM (programmable ROM), an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), an EPROM (electrically programmable ROM), a FLASH memory, a PRAM (phase change RAM), an MRAM (magnetic RAM), an RRAM (resistive RAM) and an FRAM (ferroelectric RAM).
The host device 410 may communicate with the large capacity storage device 421 and the memory 422 by forming respective links. The host device 410, the large capacity storage device 421 and the memory 422 may include the interface circuits illustrated in
While various embodiments have been described above, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described are examples only. Accordingly, the interface circuit for high speed communication and the system including the same described herein should not be limited based on the described embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2015-0099337 | Jul 2015 | KR | national |