N-PHASE SIGNAL TRANSITION ALIGNMENT

摘要

System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within an electronic apparatus. Information is transmitted in N-phase polarity encoded symbols. Drivers may be adapted or configured to align state transitions on two or more connectors in order to minimize a transition period between consecutive symbols. The drivers may include circuits that advance or delay certain transitions. The drivers may include pre-emphasis circuits that operate to drive the state of a connector for a portion of the transition period, even when the connector is transitioned to an undriven state.

主权项

1. A data transfer method, comprising:
determining differences between each pair of consecutive symbols in a plurality of symbols to be transmitted on three or more connectors, wherein the differences relate to signaling states of the three or more connectors; estimating a duration of a transition interval at a symbol boundary between the pair of consecutive symbols based on the differences; and modifying operation of one or more drivers of the three or more connectors to reduce the duration of the transition interval when the duration of the transition interval is estimated to exceed a threshold period, wherein modifying the operation of the one or more drivers comprises:
delaying or advancing an initiation of a state transition on at least one connector when the duration of the transition interval is estimated to exceed the threshold period; andselectively activating a pre-emphasis circuit based on a difference determined between two consecutive symbols in the plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol defines one of at least three signaling states for each of the three or more connectors.