N-phase polarity output pin mode multiplexer

• US 9,143,362 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiley, George A., Raskin, Glenn D., Lee, Chulkyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khanh C
• Application Number:
  US13/933,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 375/257, 375/259, 375/295, 375/377, 327/127, 327/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4923 using ternary codes H04L25/4927 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/493 by transition coding, i.e. the time-position or direction of a transition being encoded before transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1423 for simultaneous baseband signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission

Abstract

System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within an electronic apparatus. Data is selectively transmitted as N-phase polarity encoded symbols or as packets on differentially driven connectors. A desired operational mode for communicating between the two devices is determined, an encoder is selected to drive a plurality of connectors communicatively coupling the two devices, and a plurality of drivers is configured to receive encoded data from the encoder and drive the plurality of connectors. Switches may couple outputs of the selected encoder to the plurality of drivers. One or more outputs of another encoder may be caused or forced to enter a high impedance mode.

Claims

1. A multiplexer, comprising:

a plurality of line drivers, wherein an output of each line driver is coupled to a corresponding connector of a communications link;

a plurality of switches configurable for a plurality of modes of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the plurality of switches is configured such that the plurality of line drivers is coupled to differential drivers, and in a second mode of operation the plurality of switches is configured such that the plurality of line drivers is coupled to M-wire, N-phase drivers; and

one or more configuration registers configured to receive a control input that determines a current mode of operation,

wherein a plurality of states is defined for each line driver output, including an undriven state, a first driven state, and a second driven state, the second driven state having a polarity opposite the first driven state.

2. The multiplexer of claim 1, wherein each line driver output switches between the first driven state and the second driven state when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation.

3. The multiplexer of claim 1, further comprising:

a first encoder that is activated during the first mode of operation; and

a second encoder that is activated during the second mode of operation.

4. The multiplexer of claim 3, wherein the plurality of switches selects encoded signals provided by the first encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation, and encoded signals provided by the second encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation.

5. The multiplexer of claim 3, wherein when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation, at least one line driver output is in the first driven state, at least one line driver output is in the second driven state, and at least one line driver output is in the undriven state for each of a succession of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

6. The multiplexer of claim 3, wherein the first encoder comprises a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance Display System Interface (MIPI DSI) encoder.

7. The multiplexer of claim 3, wherein the second encoder comprises a mobile display digital interface (MDDI) encoder.

8. The multiplexer of claim 3, wherein the second encoder encodes data in transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers between consecutive symbols in a sequence of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

9. The multiplexer of claim 8, wherein the transitions in the states of the line driver outputs include phase state transitions.

10. The multiplexer of claim 8, wherein the transitions in the states of the line drivers output include polarity state transitions.

11. The multiplexer of claim 1, wherein the communications link comprises at least some bidirectional connectors.

12. A method, comprising:

coupling outputs of a plurality of line drivers to corresponding connectors of a communications link;

determining a current mode of operation of the communications link based a setting in on one or more configuration registers; and

configuring a plurality of switches based on the current mode of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to differential drivers, and in a second mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to M-wire, N-phase drivers,

wherein a plurality of states is defined for each line driver output, including an undriven state, a first driven state, and a second driven state, the second driven state having a polarity opposite the first driven state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each line driver output switches between the first driven state and the second driven state when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

activating a first encoder during the first mode of operation; and

activating a second encoder during the second mode of operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of switches selects encoded signals provided by the first encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation, and encoded signals provided by the second encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation, at least one line driver output is in the first driven state, at least one line driver output is in the second driven state, and at least one line driver output is in the undriven state for each of a succession of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first encoder comprises a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance Display System Interface (MIPI DSI) encoder.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the second encoder comprises a mobile display digital interface (MDDI) encoder.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second encoder encodes data in transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers between consecutive symbols in a sequence of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers include phase state transitions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers include polarity state transitions.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the communications link comprises at least some bidirectional connectors.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of line drivers coupled to corresponding connectors of a communications link;

means for determining a current mode of operation of the communications link, wherein the means for determining includes one or more configuration registers; and

means for configuring the apparatus based on the current mode of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to differential drivers, and in a second mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to M-wire, N-phase drivers,

wherein a plurality of states is defined for each line driver output, including an undriven state, a first driven state, and a second driven state, the second driven state having a polarity opposite the first driven state.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each line driver output switches between the first driven state and the second driven state when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a first encoder that is activated during the first mode of operation; and

a second encoder that is activated during the second mode of operation.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for configuring the apparatus comprises:

a plurality of switches operable to select encoded signals provided by the first encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation, and encoded signals provided by the second encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation, at least one line driver output is in the first driven state, at least one line driver output is in the second driven state, and at least one line driver output is in the undriven state for each of a succession of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first encoder comprises a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance Display System Interface (MIPI DSI) encoder.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second encoder comprises a mobile display digital interface (MDDI) encoder.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second encoder encodes data in state transitions in one or more line driver outputs between consecutive symbols in a sequence of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the state transitions in the one or more line driver outputs include phase state transitions.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the state transitions in the one or more line driver outputs include polarity state transitions.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the communications link comprises at least some bidirectional connectors.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for:

coupling outputs of a plurality of line drivers to corresponding connectors of a communications link;

determining a current mode of operation of the communications link based a setting in on one or more configuration registers; and

configuring a plurality of switches based on the current mode of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to differential drivers, and in a second mode of operation the plurality of line drivers is coupled to M-wire, N-phase drivers,

wherein a plurality of states is defined for each line driver output, including an undriven state, a first driven state, and a second driven state, the second driven state having a polarity opposite the first driven state.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein each line driver output switches between the first driven state and the second driven state when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising:

activating a first encoder during the first mode of operation; and

activating a second encoder during the second mode of operation.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the plurality of switches selects encoded signals provided by the first encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the first mode of operation, and encoded signals provided by the second encoder as inputs for the plurality of line drivers when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein when the current mode of operation is the second mode of operation, at least one line driver output is in the first driven state, at least one line driver output is in the second driven state, and at least one line driver output is in the undriven state for each of a succession of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the first encoder comprises a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance Display System Interface (MIPI DSI) encoder.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the second encoder comprises a mobile display digital interface (MDDI) encoder.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the second encoder encodes data in transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers between consecutive symbols in a sequence of symbols transmitted on the communications link.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers include phase state transitions.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the transitions in the states of the output of one or more of the plurality of line drivers include polarity state transitions.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the communications link comprises at least some bidirectional connectors.