Selectable differential or single-ended mode bus
US6243776A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 5, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4072
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A bus may be configured as either a single-ended mode bus or as a differential mode bus, depending on the system environment. The bus is configured in such a way that additional lines are not required, and so that substantially the same circuitry may be used for either single-ended mode or differential mode. Further, a selectable-mode driver may be connected to a non-selectable mode receiver, and vice versa. The invention may be implemented as a selectable driver, a selectable receiver, or a selectable driver/receiver pair. The apparatus and method of the present invention apply to both uni-directional and bi-directional bus implementations. The invention uses the same bus lines (i.e. wires) and substantially the same circuitry for both single-ended and differential modes of operation. When operating in single-ended mode, the data width of the bus is twice the data width as when operating in differential mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.