Resistor mirror

• US 6,181,157 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fiedler, Alan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santamauro, Jon
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US08/967,150
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 326/30, 326/33, 326/86, 326/83, 327/404
• US Class Current: 326/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching

Abstract

A circuit that provides a termination resistance to a transmission line includes a controllable termination resistor coupled between the transmission line and a termination voltage node. The circuit also includes a control circuit coupled to the controllable termination resistor and to a reference resistor. The control circuit matches the resistance of the controllable termination resistor to the resistance of the reference resistor.

Claims

1. A circuit for providing a termination resistance to a transmission line, the circuit comprising:

a reference resistor;

a controllable termination resistor, coupled between the transmission line and a termination voltage node, and coupled to and controllable through a control node;

a control circuit, coupled to the reference resistor and the control node; and

a power supply voltage, the termination voltage node at the power supply voltage and the control node capable of having a control voltage of greater magnitude than the power supply voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the controllable termination resistor comprises a termination transistor.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the control circuit comprises a feedback loop.

4. The circuit of claim 3 wherein the control circuit comprises at least one controllable reference resistor, the controllable reference resistor capable of being matched to the reference resistor.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the controllable reference resistor comprises a reference transistor, and the controllable termination resistor comprises a termination transistor similar to the reference transistor, and wherein the reference transistor and the termination transistor are connected together at the control node.

6. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the feedback loop comprises a differential amplifier having first and second inputs and an output, the first input coupled to a first input circuit that is further coupled to the controllable reference resistor and the second input coupled to a second input circuit that is further coupled to the reference resistor, the output coupled to an output circuit that is further coupled to the control node.

7. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the control circuit further comprises a control current source coupled to the controllable reference resistor.

8. The circuit of claim 7 wherein the control circuit further comprises a reference current source coupled to the reference resistor.

9. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a second controllable termination resistor coupled between a second transmission line and a termination voltage node and coupled to the control node.

10. The circuit of claim 9 further comprising a first switching circuit, the first switching circuit coupled between the control circuit and the controllable termination resistor.

11. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a voltage limiting circuit, coupled across at least a portion of the controllable termination resistor.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the voltage limiting circuit comprises at least one diode-connected transistor.

13. A method of terminating a transmission line, the method comprising:

connecting the transmission line to a controllable termination resistor that is coupled to a power supply voltage in an integrated circuit;

generating a reference electrical value dependent on the resistance of a reference resistor;

generating a termination electrical value dependent on the resistance of the controllable termination resistor; and

using the reference electrical value and the termination electrical value to change a voltage that is greater than the power supply voltage in order to chance the resistance of the controllable termination resistor so that it matches the resistance of the reference resistor.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein generating the termination electrical value comprises using a controllable reference resistor that has a resistance that matches the resistance of the controllable termination resistor.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the termination electrical value is a voltage generated by passing a current through the controllable reference resistor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the reference electrical value is a voltage generated by passing a current through the reference resistor.

17. An apparatus for providing a resistance between a conductor and a termination node, coupled to a supply voltage the apparatus comprising:

a reference resistor;

a controllable termination resistor, coupled between the termination node and the conductor; and

control means, coupled to the reference resistor and the controllable termination resistor for matching the resistance of the controllable termination resistor to the resistance of the reference resistor by applying a voltage greater than the supply voltage to a portion of the controllable termination resistor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of controllable termination resistors, coupled between the termination node and a plurality of conductors, and coupled to the control means, the control means for matching the resistances of each of the plurality of controllable termination resistors to the resistance of the reference resistor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the control means comprises a controllable reference resistor, and wherein the resistance of the controllable reference resistor is matched to the resistance of the reference resistor.

20. An electronics system for performing electronics functions, the system comprising:

an electrical circuit;

transmission means coupled between the electrical circuit and a remote location, for providing a communication path between the electrical circuit and the remote location; and

termination means, coupled between the transmission means and a termination node that provides a supply voltage, the termination means comprising a controllable termination resistor coupled between the transmission means and the termination node, a reference resistor, and control means coupled between the reference resistor and the controllable termination resistor for setting the resistance of the controllable termination resistor equal to a value that is proportional to the resistance of the reference resistor by providing a voltage that is larger than the supply voltage to a portion of the controllable termination resistor.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a plurality of transmission means, coupled between the electrical circuit and the remote location, for providing a plurality of communication paths between the electrical circuit and a plurality of remote locations; and

a plurality of controllable termination resistors coupled between the plurality of transmission means and a termination node, and coupled to the control means, the control means for setting the resistances of the plurality of controllable termination resistors equal to a value that is proportional to the resistance of the reference resistor.

22. A switching circuit in an integrated circuit having a power supply voltage, the switching circuit comprising:

an input, the input adapted to be coupled to a voltage greater than the power supply voltage;

a switching transistor, positioned between the input and an output and adapted to operate in a first and second state, in the first state the switching transistor providing a current path from the input to the output, in the second state the switching transistor interrupting a current path from the input to the output;

a control input;

a control circuit, coupled to the control input and the switching transistor; and

a pull down circuit, connected to the control circuit and the output and adapted to lower the voltage at the output when the switching transistor is in the second state while limiting the voltage drop across the switching transistor to less than a voltage at which the switching transistor is damaged.

23. The switching circuit of claim 22 wherein the control circuit comprises a first control transistor having first, second and third terminals and a second control transistor having first, second and third terminals, the first terminal of the first control transistor coupled to the control input, the first terminal of the second control transistor coupled to one terminal of an inverter, the inverter having a second terminal coupled to the control input.

24. The switching circuit of claim 23 wherein the switching transistor has a first terminal coupled to the input, a second terminal coupled to the output, and a third terminal coupled to the control circuit.

25. The switching circuit of claim 24 wherein the control circuit further comprises a third control transistor having first, second and third terminals, the first terminal coupled to the input, the second and third terminals coupled to the third terminal of the switching transistor.

26. The switching circuit of claim 25 wherein the control circuit further comprises a buffer transistor having first, second and third terminals, the first terminal coupled to the third terminal of the switching transistor, the second terminal coupled to the first control transistor and the third terminal coupled to a fixed voltage.

27. The switching circuit of claim 24 wherein the buffer transistor and the fixed voltage together limit a voltage across the first control transistor to less than a voltage at which the first control transistor is damaged.

28. The switching circuit of claim 23 wherein the pull down circuit comprises a supply buffer transistor having a first terminal coupled to the output, a second terminal coupled to the second control transistor, and a third terminal coupled to a fixed voltage.

29. The switching circuit of claim 28 wherein the pull down supply circuit further comprises a diode-configured transistor having a first and second terminal coupled to the third terminal of the supply buffer transistor and a third terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second control transistor.