Calibration methods and circuits to calibrate drive current and termination impedance

• US 10,270,441 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Huy M., Gadde, Vijay, Lau, Benedict
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, James H
• Application Number:
  US15/685,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20180019752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0005 Modifications of input or output impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/01 Modifications for accelerating switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 21/08 Output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/24 the characteristic being amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0298 Arrangement for terminating transmission lines

Abstract

Described are on-die termination (ODT) systems and methods that facilitate high-speed communication between a driver die and a receiver die interconnected via one or more signal transmission lines. An ODT control system in accordance with one embodiment calibrates and maintains termination resistances and drive currents to produce optimal output swing voltages. Comparison circuitry employed to calibrate the reference resistance is also used to calibrate the drive current. Termination elements in some embodiments are divided into two adjustable resistive portions, both of which are designed to minimize capacitive loading. One portion is optimized to produce a relatively high range of adjustment, while the other is optimized for fine-tuning and glitch-free switching.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a resistance of an on-die termination (ODT) resistor against an off-die resistor using a single comparator, the method comprising:

drawing a reference-resistor current through the off-die resistor to develop a reference-resistor voltage;

comparing, with the single comparator, the reference-resistor voltage to a reference voltage;

adjusting the reference-resistor current through the off-die resistor responsive to an output of the single comparator until the reference-resistor voltage matches the reference voltage to produce a calibrated reference-resistor current and a calibrated reference-resistor voltage;

creating a calibrated ODT current proportional to the calibrated reference-resistor current;

drawing the calibrated ODT current through the ODT resistor to develop an ODT voltage;

adjusting the resistance of the ODT resistor responsive to the output of the single comparator until the ODT voltage matches the calibrated reference-resistor voltage and the reference voltage; and

second comparing, with the single comparator, the ODT voltage to the calibrated reference-resistor voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drawing the reference-resistor current through the off-die resistor comprises passing the reference-resistor current through a digitally controlled source of the reference-resistor current.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the digitally controlled source of the reference-resistor current is a current source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the resistance comprises feeding a digital value to the ODT resistor responsive to the output of the single comparator.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising distributing the digital value to receivers with respective ODT resistances.

6. A method for calibrating a resistance of an on-die termination (ODT) resistor against an off-die resistor using a single comparator, the method comprising:

drawing a reference-resistor current through the off-die resistor to develop a reference-resistor voltage;

comparing, with the single comparator, the reference-resistor voltage to a reference voltage;

adjusting the reference-resistor current through the off-die resistor responsive to an output of the single comparator until the reference-resistor voltage matches the reference voltage to produce a calibrated reference-resistor current and a calibrated reference-resistor voltage;

creating a calibrated ODT current proportional to the calibrated reference-resistor current; and

drawing the calibrated ODT current through the ODT resistor to develop an ODT voltage; and

adjusting the resistance of the ODT resistor responsive to the output of the single comparator until the ODT voltage matches the calibrated reference-resistor voltage and the reference voltage;

wherein the creating the calibrated ODT current comprises mirroring the calibrated reference-resistor current.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the calibrated reference-resistor current and the calibrated ODT current are equal.

8. An on-die termination (ODT) control circuit comprising:

a comparator having;

a first comparator input;

a second comparator input; and

a comparator output;

a multiplexer having;

a first multiplexer input;

a second multiplexer input; and

a multiplexer output coupled to the second comparator input;

an adjustable ODT element having;

a first current-handling terminal;

a second current-handling terminal coupled to the second multiplexer input; and

an ODT control input; and

circuitry coupled between the comparator output and the ODT control input of the adjustable ODT element, the circuitry to provide a digital value to the ODT control input to calibrate an impedance through the adjustable ODT element.

9. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, the circuitry including a counter to store the digital value.

10. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, further comprising:

a first source of an adjustable first current from the first comparator input; and

a second source of an adjustable second current from the second current-handling terminal of the adjustable ODT element.

11. The ODT control circuit of claim 10, wherein the first source mirrors the second source.

12. The ODT control circuit of claim 11, wherein the adjustable first current equals the adjustable second current.

13. The ODT control circuit of claim 12, wherein the second source mirrors the first source.

14. The ODT control circuit of claim 10, the circuitry to provide a second digital value to the first source, the second digital value to calibrate at least one of the adjustable first current from the first comparator input and the adjustable second current from the second current-handling terminal of the adjustable ODT element.

15. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, further comprising a pass gate disposed between a reference node and the first comparator input.

16. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, further comprising a voltage source to supply a reference voltage to first multiplexer input.

17. The ODT control circuit of claim 16, further comprising a second voltage source to supply a second reference voltage to first current-handling terminal.

18. The ODT control circuit of claim 17, further comprising an external reference resistor coupled to the first comparator input.

19. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, further comprising receivers with respective ODT resistances coupled to the circuitry to receive the digital value.

20. The ODT control circuit of claim 8, further comprising:

a first reference node coupled to the first comparator input;

a second reference node coupled to the first multiplexer input; and

a third reference node coupled to the first current-handling terminal of the adjustable ODT element.