Configurable differential to single ended IO

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9325534-B2
Application number	US-56876509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2009
Priority date	Sep 29, 2009
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

An electronic system having a power efficient differential signal between a first and second electronic unit. A controller uses information, such as compliance with data transmission rate requirement and bit error rate (BER) versus a BER threshold to control power modes such that a minimal amount of power is required. Amplitude of transmission and single ended or differential transmission of data are examples of the power modes. The controller also factors in a failing phase in a differential signal in selecting a minimal power mode that satisfies the transmission rate requirement of the BER threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic system comprising:
a first electronic unit and a second electronic unit, the first electronic unit and the second electronic unit coupled by a resistively terminated_differential signal, the resistively terminated differential signal further comprising a true phase and a complement phase; and
a controller configured to reduce power dissipated during transmission of data from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit on the differential signal by configuring a driver and a receiver of the resistively terminated_differential signal to select between a lower power mode and a higher power mode based on information about the transmission of data.

2. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the information is measured bit error rate (BER) relative to a BER threshold.

3. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein the BER threshold is programmable.

4. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the information is physical information about the signaling conductors.

5. The electronic system of claim 4 , wherein the physical information is length of signaling conductors of the differential signal.

6. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the information is a data transmission rate requirement.

7. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the information is a fault in one phase of the differential signal.

8. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein an amplitude of signal is lowered to reduce power.

9. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein single ended data transmission is used to reduce power.

10. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the information is traffic on the differential signal.

11. The electronic system of claim 8 , wherein the controller configures the first electronic unit and the second electronic unit to effect a doze period on the differential signal responsive to detection of traffic on the differential signal being less than a traffic threshold.

Assignees

• Ferraiolo Frank D
• Gower Kevin C
• Tremaine Robert B
• Wright Kenneth L
• IBM

Inventors

• Ferraiolo Frank D
• Gower Kevin C
• Tremaine Robert B
• Wright Kenneth L

Classifications

• H04L25/0272 Primary

  Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission · CPC title

• Y02D30/00

  Reducing energy consumption in communication networks · CPC title