Receive clock calibration for a serial bus

• US 9,684,624 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sengoku, Shoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/616,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 713401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4234 being a memory bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0037 Delay of clock signal

Abstract

Master and slave devices may be coupled to a control data bus. A method includes controlling data transmissions over a bus using a master device. A clock signal is provided by the master device on a clock line (SCL) of a serial bus, a receive clock generated from transitions on the SCL line when a slave device is transmitting data on the SDA line, is calibrated using a delay based on a duration of time measured between an edge of the clock signal provided on the SCL line and at least one transition produced on the SDA line by a slave device in response to the edge of the clock signal. Data, including double data rate data, may be reliably received using the calibrated receive clock.

Claims

1. A method operational on a master device, comprising:

providing a clock signal on a serial clock line (SCL line) of a serial bus, wherein the clock signal controls data transmissions on a serial data line (SDA line) of the serial bus;

generating a receive clock from transitions on the SCL line when a slave device is transmitting data on the SDA line;

calibrating a delay based on a duration of time measured between an edge of the clock signal provided on the SCL line and at least one transition produced on the SDA line by a slave device in response to the edge of the clock signal;

providing a modified receive clock by adding the delay to the receive clock; and

receiving data from the SDA line using the modified receive clock,

wherein the clock signal provided on the SCL line controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the receive clock comprises:

generating a first receive clock from transitions in signaling state on the SDA or the SCL line in a first mode of operation;

masking the SDA line during a second mode of operation; and

generating a second receive clock from transitions in signaling state on the SCL line in a second mode of operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified receive clock is generated from the second receive clock.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a clock and data recovery circuit to generate the receive clock.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmissions on the serial bus are compatible with an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) mode of operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with an I2C slave device coupled to the serial bus in accordance with I2C protocols during a first period of time,

wherein the clock signal provided on the SCL line is ignored by the I2C slave device during a second period of time when the clock signal provided on the SCL line controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with an I2C slave device during a first time period; and

communicating with a slave device other than an I2C slave device during a second time period,

wherein a double data rate clock signal is transmitted on the SCL line during the second time period.

8. An apparatus configured to function as a master device when coupled to a serial data link, comprising:

a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a first clock signal on a serial clock line (SCL line) of the serial data link, wherein the first clock signal controls data transmissions on a serial data line (SDA line) of the serial data link;

a clock generation circuit configured to generate a second clock from transitions of the clock signal when a slave device is transmitting data on the SDA line;

calibration logic configured to

calibrate a delay based on a duration of time measured between an edge of the first clock signal and at least one transition produced on the SDA line by a slave device in response to the edge of the first clock signal, and

provide a third clock by adding the delay to the second clock; and

a receiving circuit configured to receive data from the SDA line using the third clock,

wherein the first clock signal controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the clock generation circuit is configured to:

generate a fourth clock using transitions in signaling state on the SDA line or the SCL line in a first mode of operation;

mask the SDA line during a second mode of operation; and

generate the second clock from transitions in signaling state on the SCL line in a second mode of operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein transmissions on the serial data link are compatible with an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) mode of operation.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first clock signal comprises a series of clock pulses;

each pulse in the series of clock pulses has a high state with a duration that exceeds a threshold duration in a first mode of operation;

each pulse in the series of clock pulses has a high state with a duration that is less than the threshold duration in a second mode of operation;

in the first mode of operation, the slave device is configured to communicate over the serial data link in accordance with I2C protocols; and

in the second mode of operation, the first clock signal is ignored by the slave device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the threshold duration is 50 nanoseconds.

13. An apparatus configured to function as a master device when coupled to a serial data link, comprising:

means for providing a clock signal on a serial clock line (SCL line) of a serial bus, wherein the clock signal controls data transmissions on a serial data line (SDA line) of the serial bus;

means for generating a receive clock from transitions on the SCL line when a slave device is transmitting data on the SDA line;

means for calibrating a delay based on a duration of time measured between an edge of the clock signal provided on the SCL line and at least one transition produced on the SDA line by a slave device in response to the edge of the clock signal;

means for providing a modified receive clock by adding the delay to the receive clock; and

means for receiving data from the SDA line using the modified receive clock,

wherein the clock signal provided on the SCL line controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for generating the receive clock is configured to:

generate a first receive clock from transitions in signaling state on the SDA or the SCL line in a first mode of operation;

mask the SDA line during a second mode of operation; and

generate a second receive clock from transitions in signaling state on the SCL line in a second mode of operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the modified receive clock is generated from the second receive clock.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for generating a receive clock comprises:

a clock and data recovery circuit.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein transmissions on the serial bus are compatible with an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) mode of operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for communicating with an I2C slave device coupled to the serial bus in accordance with I2C protocols during a first period of time,

wherein the clock signal provided on the SCL line is ignored by the I2C slave device during a second period of time when the clock signal provided on the SCL line controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for communicating with an I2C slave device configured to;

communicate with an I2C slave device during a first time period; and

communicate with a slave device other than an I2C slave device during a second time period,

wherein a double data rate clock signal is transmitted on the SCL line during the second time period.

20. A method operational on a slave device, comprising:

receiving a clock signal from a serial clock line (SCL line) of a serial bus, wherein the clock signal is generated by a master device and controls data transmissions on a serial data line (SDA line) of the serial bus;

generating a receive clock from transitions on the SCL line when a peer slave device is transmitting data on the SDA line;

calibrating a delay based on a duration of time measured between an edge of the clock signal provided on the SCL line and at least one transition produced on the SDA line by a slave device in response to the edge of the clock signal;

providing a modified receive clock by adding the delay to the receive clock; and

receiving data from the SDA line using the modified receive clock, wherein the clock signal provided on the SCL line controls double data rate transmissions on the SDA line.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein generating the receive clock comprises:

masking the SDA line during peer-to-peer transfers at double data rate.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using a clock and data recovery circuit to generate the receive clock.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein transmissions on the serial bus are compatible with an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) mode of operation.