INTERFACE CIRCUIT, AND INTERFACE SYSTEM

摘要

Provided is an interface circuit which supports, as a communication mode, both a single-end mode and a differential mode and in which one of differential signal input terminal pairs is a multifunction terminal pair that also serves as a single-end signal input/output terminals. A differential signal receiving circuit, which receives differential signals inputted from the multifunction terminal pair, is activated by inputting differential signals to a differential signal input dedicated terminal pair different from the multifunction terminals and thereafter is kept active by an incorporated controller. Thus, the activation of the differential signal receiving circuit, which receives the differential signals inputted from the multifunction terminal pair, is controlled by controlling the differential signals that are to be inputted from the input dedicated terminal pair, and further, the possibility of the differential signal receiving circuit being halted at an unintended timing is suppressed to a low one.