Search for impedance calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531382-B1
Application number	US-201514842032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A non-volatile storage system includes an impedance code calibration circuit. The device has a first variable impedance circuit and a second variable impedance circuit coupled to a calibration node. The device has a control circuit configured to access a previous impedance code for a previous impedance calibration and to divide the previous impedance code into a main impedance code and a remainder impedance code. The control circuit is configured to perform a search for a new impedance code starting with the main impedance code applied to the first variable impedance circuit while maintaining the remainder impedance code to the second variable impedance circuit. The control circuit is configured to add the final impedance code for the first variable impedance circuit with the remainder impedance code to produce a new impedance code for the impedance calibration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a calibration node;
a variable impedance circuit coupled to the calibration node, wherein the variable impedance circuit comprises first variable impedance elements and second variable impedance elements; and
a control circuit coupled to the variable impedance circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
divide a previous impedance code into a first impedance code and a second impedance code;
apply the first impedance code to the first variable impedance elements;
apply the second impedance code to the second variable impedance elements;
calibrate an impedance of the variable impedance circuit with respect to the calibration node, wherein the control circuit is configured to perform a search starting with the first impedance code applied to the first variable impedance elements while maintaining the second impedance code to the second variable impedance elements, wherein the search results in a final impedance code for the first variable impedance elements; and
add the final impedance code with the second impedance code to produce a new impedance code for the impedance calibration of the variable impedance circuit with respect to the calibration node.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the previous impedance code is for a previous impedance calibration associated with the variable impedance circuit, wherein the sum of the first impedance code and the second impedance code equals the previous impedance code.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance elements are configured to have 2 n different impedances in response to the different values of an “n” bit impedance code, wherein the first impedance code is a value from an mth step of a full binary search that would cover an entire range of the 2 n different impedances, wherein “m” is greater than one.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an output driver, wherein the first variable impedance elements are a replica circuit of the output driver, wherein the second variable impedance elements are a replica circuit of a portion of the output driver, wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide the new impedance code to the output driver.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance elements are configured to have 2 n different impedances in response to an “n” bit impedance code, wherein the second variable impedance elements are configured to have 2 r different impedances in response to an “r” bit impedance code, wherein “r” is less than “n”, wherein the 2 r different impedances of the second variable impedance elements match the corresponding different impedances of the first variable impedance elements when the r bit impedance code is applied to the first variable impedance elements.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection transistors, wherein the ESD protection transistors comprise the second variable impedance elements.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first variable impedance elements comprise a pull-up circuit;
the second variable impedance elements comprise a pull-up circuit; and
the calibration node comprises a ZQ node that is coupled to a reference impedance.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pull-up circuit in series with the first variable impedance elements, wherein:
the first variable impedance elements comprise a pull-down circuit;
the second variable impedance elements comprise a pull-down circuit; and
the calibration node comprises a node (DQ) between the pull-up circuit and the first variable impedance elements.

9. A method comprising:
accessing a previous impedance code for a previous impedance calibration associated with a calibration node;
dividing the previous impedance code into a first impedance code and a second impedance code;
applying the first impedance code to a first variable impedance circuit coupled to the calibration node;
applying the second impedance code to a second variable impedance circuit coupled to the calibration node;
performing a binary search to calibrate an impedance of the first and second variable impedance circuits to the calibration node, wherein the binary search changes the first impedance code applied to the first variable impedance circuit while maintaining the second impedance code applied to the second variable impedance circuit, wherein the binary search concludes in a final impedance code for the first variable impedance circuit; and
adding the final impedance code for the first variable impedance circuit with the second impedance code to produce a new impedance code associated with the calibration node.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first impedance code and the second impedance code sum to the previous impedance code.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first variable impedance circuit is configured to have 2 n different impedances in response to the different values of an “n” bit impedance code, wherein performing the binary search comprises:
starting the binary search at an mth step of a full binary search that would cover an entire range of the 2 n different impedances, wherein “m” is greater than one.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising an output driver, wherein the first variable impedance circuit is replica circuit of the output driver, wherein the second variable impedance circuit is a replica circuit of a portion of the output driver, and further comprising:
providing the new impedance code to the output driver.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first variable impedance circuit is configured to have 2 n impedance values in response to an “n” bit impedance code, wherein the second variable impedance circuit is configured to have 2 r impedance values in response to an “r” bit impedance code, wherein “r” is less than “n”, wherein the 2 r impedance values of the second variable impedance circuit match the corresponding impedance values of the first variable impedance circuit when the r bit impedance code is applied to the first variable impedance circuit.

14. A device comprising:
a ZQ calibration node;
a first binary weighted replica circuit coupled to the ZQ calibration node;
a second binary weighted replica circuit coupled to the ZQ calibration node; and
a control circuit coupled to the first binary weighted replica circuit and to the second binary weighted replica circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
access a ZQ impedance code for a previous ZQ calibration;
divide the ZQ impedance code into a first impedance code and a second impedance code;
perform a binary search in which the control circuit is configured to maintain the second impedance code to the second binary weighted replica circuit and to start a binary search with the first impedance code applied to the first binary weighted replica circuit, wherein the binary search concludes with a final impedance code for the first binary weighted replica circuit; and
add the final impedance code for the first binary weighted replica circuit with the second impedance code to produce a new ZQ calibration code.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first impedance code and the second impedance code total to the ZQ impedance code for a previous ZQ calibration.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first binary weighted replica circuit is configured to have 2 n different impedance values in response to an “n” bit impedance code, wherein the control circuit being configured to perform the binary search comprises the control circuit being configured to skip the fi

Assignees

• Sandisk Technologies Inc
• Sandisk Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Miwa Hitoshi
• Addepalli Sravanti
• Yadala Sridhar

Classifications

• G11C29/50008 Primary

  of impedance · CPC title

• G11C29/028

  with adaption or trimming of parameters · CPC title

• G11C29/022

  in I/O circuitry · CPC title

• H03K19/003

  Modifications for increasing the reliability {for protection} · CPC title

• H03K19/0005 Primary

  Modifications of input or output impedance · CPC title