Reception interface circuits supporting multiple communication standards and memory systems including the same

• US 10,291,275 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Seon-Kyoo, Jeong, Byung-Hoon, Ihm, Jeong-Don, Choi, Young-Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez, James M
• Application Number:
  US15/397,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20170288717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 375219-220, 375229-236, 375316-352
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/24 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0292 Arrangements specific to the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0298 Arrangement for terminating transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03847 Shaping by selective switching of amplifying elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03878 Line equalisers; line build-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6235 Variable service order
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

A reception interface circuit includes a termination circuit, a buffer and an interface controller. The termination circuit is configured to change a termination mode in response to a termination control signal. The buffer is configured to change a reception characteristic in response to a buffer control signal. The interface controller is configured to generate the termination control signal and the buffer control signal such that the reception characteristic of the buffer is changed in association with the change in the termination mode. The reception interface circuit may support various communication standards by changing the reception characteristic of the buffer in association with the termination mode. Using the reception interface circuit, communication efficiency of transceiver systems such as a memory system and/or compatibility between a transmitter device and a receiver device may be improved.

Claims

1. A reception interface circuit comprising:

a termination circuit configured to change a termination mode in response to a termination control signal;

a buffer configured to change a reception characteristic in response to a buffer control signal;

an interface controller configured to generate the termination control signal and the buffer control signal such that the reception characteristic of the buffer is changed in association with the change in the termination mode;

wherein the termination circuit includes

a first sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between an input-output node and a first power supply voltage in response to a first switch control signal, and

a second sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between the input-output node and a second power supply voltage in response to a second switch control signal, the second power supply voltage lower than the first power supply voltage; and

wherein the buffer includes

a first reception buffer including a plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors, the plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors including both a first N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors and a first P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors,

a second reception buffer including a single second differential input pair of transistors, the single second differential input pair of transistors being a P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors, and

a third reception buffer including a single third differential input pair of transistors, the single third differential input pair of transistors being an N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors.

2. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein

the first reception buffer, the second reception buffer and the third reception buffer have different reception characteristics;

and

the interface controller is further configured to control the buffer through the buffer control signal such that one of the first reception buffer, the second reception buffer and the third reception buffer is enabled based on the termination mode.

3. The reception interface circuit of claim 2, wherein the interface controller is further configured to control the buffer such that an operation current of the one of the first reception buffer, the second reception buffer and the third reception buffer is changed based on an operation speed of the reception interface circuit.

4. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein

the first reception buffer, the second reception buffer and the third reception buffer are configured to be selectively enabled in association with selective enabling of at least one of the first sub termination circuit and the second sub termination circuit.

5. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein the interface controller is further configured to enable the first reception buffer when both the first sub termination circuit and the second sub termination circuit are enabled.

6. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein the interface controller is further configured to enable the first reception buffer when both the first sub termination circuit and the second sub termination circuit are disabled.

7. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein the interface controller is further configured to enable the second reception buffer when the first sub termination circuit is disabled and the second sub termination circuit is enabled.

8. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein the interface controller is further configured to enable the third reception buffer when the first sub termination circuit is enabled and the second sub termination circuit is disabled.

9. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein

the first reception buffer includes an equalizer and a first differential amplifier, the equalizer configured to amplify an input signal pair to output an output signal pair, and the first differential amplifier configured to amplify the output signal pair to output a first single-ended signal;

and

the second reception buffer includes a second differential amplifier, the second differential amplifier configured to amplify the input signal pair to output a second single-ended signal.

10. The reception interface circuit of claim 9, wherein the interface controller is further configured to

enable the first reception buffer in response to an increase in operation speed of the reception interface circuit;

and

enable the second reception buffer in response to a decrease in the operation speed of the reception interface circuit.

11. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, wherein the buffer is configured to selectively receive a differential input signal pair or a single-ended input signal.

12. The reception interface circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission driver configured to drive the input-output node, the transmission driver including the termination circuit.

13. A memory system comprising:

a memory device; and

a memory controller configured to control the memory device;

wherein the memory device includes

a termination circuit configured to change a termination mode in response to a termination control signal,

a buffer configured to change a reception characteristic in response to a buffer control signal, and

an interface controller configured to generate the termination control signal and the buffer control signal such that the reception characteristic of the buffer is changed in association with the change in the termination mode;

wherein the termination circuit includes

a first sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between an input-output node and a first power supply voltage in response to a first switch control signal, and

a second sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between the input-output node and a second power supply voltage in response to a second switch control signal, the second power supply voltage lower than the first power supply voltage; and

wherein the buffer includes

a first reception buffer including a plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors, the plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors including both a first N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors and a first P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors,

a second reception buffer including a single second differential input pair of transistors, the single second differential input pair of transistors being a P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors, and

a third reception buffer including a single third differential input pair of transistors, the single third differential input pair of transistors being an N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors.

14. A memory device comprising:

a reception interface circuit including a plurality of reception buffers and a termination circuit, the reception interface circuit configured to

operate in a plurality of termination modes based on mode information stored at an internal circuit of the memory device, and

set a reception characteristic for the reception interface circuit by selecting a reception buffer from among the plurality of reception buffers based on a selected one of the plurality of termination modes, each of the plurality of reception buffers having different reception characteristics;

wherein the termination circuit includes

a first sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between an input-output node and a first power supply voltage in response to a first switch control signal, and

a second sub termination circuit configured to control an electrical connection between the input-output node and a second power supply voltage in response to a second switch control signal, the second power supply voltage lower than the first power supply voltage; and

wherein the plurality of reception buffers include

a first reception buffer including a plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors, the plurality of first differential input pairs of transistors including both a first N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors and a first P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors,

a second reception buffer including a single second differential input pair of transistors, the single second differential input pair of transistors being a P-type differential input pair of PMOS transistors, and

a third reception buffer including a single third differential input pair of transistors, the single third differential input pair of transistors being an N-type differential input pair of NMOS transistors.

15. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the reception interface circuit further comprises:

an interface control circuit configured to

generate a buffer control signal based on the selected one of the plurality of termination modes, and

output the buffer control signal to select the reception buffer from among the plurality of reception buffers.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein

the interface control circuit is further configured to generate a termination control signal based on the selected one of the plurality of termination modes;

and

the termination circuit is configured to

set a termination mode of the reception interface circuit to the selected one of the plurality of termination modes based on the termination control signal, and

terminate a received input signal according to the termination mode of the reception interface circuit.

17. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of termination modes include a center-tapped termination mode, an untermination mode, and a plurality of pseudo-open drain untermination modes.

18. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the reception interface circuit is further configured to set the reception characteristic for the reception interface circuit by selecting only one reception buffer from among the plurality of reception buffers based on the selected one of the plurality of termination modes.