Multilevel signal transmission system capable of transmitting multilevel data signal without signal distortion and correctly determining voltage level

摘要

A multilevel signal transmitting apparatus determines a voltage level indicating an original data signal, and generates a multilevel data signal including a plurality of unit time intervals each having the determined voltage level. The multilevel signal transmitting apparatus assigns an even number of voltage levels to each unit time interval, assigns a smaller number of voltage levels than a maximum number of voltage levels, to a unit time interval next to a unit time interval to which the maximum number of voltage levels are assigned, and determines one of the assigned voltage levels, as the voltage level indicating the original data signal. A multilevel signal receiving apparatus detects the voltage level of the multilevel data signal, and reproduces the original data signal, based on the assigned voltage levels and the detected voltage level.

主权项

1. A multilevel signal transmitting apparatus for generating a multilevel data signal from an original data signal, the multilevel data signal having an even number of voltage levels equal to or more than four,
wherein the multilevel signal transmitting apparatus comprises:
a data processing circuit configured to determine one of the voltage levels, the determined voltage level being indicative of the original data signal, in each of a plurality of unit time intervals; anda driver circuit configured to generate the multilevel data signal including the unit time intervals, each of the unit time intervals having the corresponding determined voltage level, wherein the data processing circuit is configured to:
assign a predetermined even number of voltage levels to each of the unit time intervals, such that the unit time intervals include (i) first unit time intervals, each of the first unit time intervals being assigned a maximum number of voltage levels and (ii) second unit time intervals, each of the second unit time intervals being assigned a number of voltage levels less than the maximum number of voltage levels, and such that each of the first unit time intervals is immediately followed by one of the second unit time intervals; anddetermine one of the assigned voltage levels, as the voltage level indicative of the original data signal, in each of the unit time intervals, and wherein the driver circuit is configured to generate the multilevel data signal, such that with respect to a predetermined voltage level, a maximum of amplitude of the voltage levels assigned to each of the second unit time intervals is smaller than a maximum amplitude of the voltage levels assigned to each of the first unit time intervals.