Methods and Systems for Energy-Efficient Communications Interface

摘要

In a high-impedance communications interface, driver energy consumption is proportional to the number of signal transitions. For signals having three or more distinct levels, it is possible for a signal driver to salvage energy from some downward signal transitions and reuse it on some subsequent upward signal transitions. To facilitate this energy-conserving behavior, communication is performed using group signaling over sets of wires using a vector signaling code, with the design and use of the vector signaling code insuring that energy availability is balanced with energy demand.

主权项

1. A system for interconnection of two or more integrated circuit devices using a vector signaling code to communicate binary data, the system comprised of:
a collection of interconnection wires connecting the two or more integrated circuit devices, the wires representing an essentially capacitive load, an encoder configured to convert the binary data to a vector signaling code word of three or more levels, at least one level being an intermediate level, a transmission interface to the collection of interconnection wires in at least one of the integrated circuit devices configured to emit the encoded vector signaling code word of three or more levels on the interconnection wires within a specified transmission interval, a reception interface to the collection of interconnection wires in at least one of the integrated circuit devices configured to detect a received vector signaling code word, a decoder configured to convert the received vector signaling code word to binary output data, an energy storage element configured to produce at least one intermediate voltage level for the transmission interface, wherein at least one intermediate level of the three or more signal levels on the interconnection wires is generated using energy transferred to the energy storage element from at least some of the essentially capacitive load of the collection of interconnection wires.