Voltage tolerant termination presence detection

• US 9,780,783 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Srivastava, Amit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh
• Application Number:
  US15/087,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20170288668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4086 Bus impedance matching, e.g. termination
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0005 Modifications of input or output impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/017509 Interface arrangements

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods associated with voltage tolerant termination presence detection for universal serial bus type-C connectors are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus to enable voltage tolerant termination presence detection may include sensor circuitry to determine whether a device coupled to the sensor circuitry is to operate in host mode or device mode based on a signal on a configuration channel between the device and the sensor circuitry. In embodiments, the apparatus may further include termination circuitry to bias the configuration channel in accordance with the host mode or the device mode based on the determination of whether the device is to operate in the host mode or the device mode. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus to enable voltage tolerant termination presence detection, comprising:

sensor circuitry to determine whether a device coupled to the sensor circuitry is to operate in a host mode or a device mode based on a signal on a configuration channel between the device and the sensor circuitry; and

termination circuitry to bias the configuration channel in accordance with the host mode or the device mode based on and after the determination of whether the device is to operate in the host mode or the device mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising pull-down circuitry to set the configuration channel to a voltage associated with the device mode, wherein, in response to a determination by the sensor circuitry that the device is to operate in the device mode, the termination circuitry is to enable the pull-down circuitry to set the configuration channel to the voltage associated with the device mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein to set the configuration channel to the voltage associated with the device mode includes to couple the configuration channel to ground by the pull-down circuitry.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising pull-up circuitry to set the configuration channel to a voltage associated with the host mode, wherein, in response to a determination by the sensor circuitry that the device is to operate in the host mode, the termination circuitry is to enable the pull-up circuitry to set the configuration channel to the voltage associated with the host mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuitry is to determine whether the device is to operate in host mode or device mode based on a voltage of the signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuitry is further to identify an occurrence of a maximum voltage on the configuration channel, and wherein the apparatus further comprises voltage clamping circuitry to limit voltage of the configuration channel to the maximum voltage in response to the occurrence of the maximum voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the maximum voltage is selected based on a maximum operational voltage of electrical components within the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the clamping circuitry includes circuitry to sink current from the configuration channel in response to identification of the occurrence of the maximum voltage on the configuration channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is located within a system on chip.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is located on a die.

11. A system for termination presence detection, comprising:

a die;

sensor circuitry, located on the die, to determine whether a device coupled to the sensor circuitry is in a low power condition based on a signal on a configuration channel between the device and the sensor circuitry; and

termination circuitry, located on the die, to bias the configuration channel based on the determination of whether the device is in the low power condition, the sensor circuitry to determine whether the device is in the low power condition prior to the configuration channel being biased.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising pull-down circuitry, located on the die, to couple the configuration channel to ground in response to determination, by the sensor circuitry, that the device is in the low power condition.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising pull-up circuitry, located on the die, to set the configuration channel to a logic high level in response to determination, by the sensor circuitry, that the device is not in the low power condition.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor circuitry is further to identify an occurrence of a maximum voltage on the configuration channel, and wherein the system further comprises voltage clamping circuitry, located on the die, to limit voltage of the configuration channel to the maximum voltage in response to the occurrence of the maximum voltage.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the maximum voltage is selected based on a maximum operational voltage of electrical components with the system.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the clamping circuitry includes circuitry to sink current from the configuration channel in response to identification of the occurrence of the maximum voltage on the configuration channel.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises a system on chip, wherein the die is located within the system on chip.

18. An apparatus for voltage tolerant termination presence detection, comprising:

means for determining whether a device is to operate in a host mode or a device mode based on a voltage present on a configuration channel associated with the device; and

means for biasing the configuration channel at a voltage corresponding to either the host mode or the device mode based on the determination of whether the device is to operate in the host mode or the device mode, wherein the means for determining is to determine whether the device is to operate in the host mode or the device mode before the means for biasing biases the configuration channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for biasing the configuration channel at the voltage corresponding to either the host mode or the device mode includes means for biasing the configuration channel at a voltage corresponding to the device mode in response to a determination, by the means for determining, that the device is to operate in the device mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for biasing the configuration channel at the voltage corresponding to either the host mode or the device mode includes means for biasing the configuration channel at a voltage corresponding to the host mode in response to a determination, by the means for determining, that the device is to operate in the host mode.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining that the voltage present on the configuration channel is equal to or greater than a maximum voltage; and

means for clamping the configuration channel to the maximum voltage in response to determination that the voltage present on the configuration channel is equal to or greater than the maximum voltage.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the maximum voltage is selected based on a maximum operational voltage of electrical components of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for clamping the configuration channel to the maximum voltage includes means for sinking current from the configuration channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is located within a system on chip.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is located on a die.