Infineon Technologies Ag

Infineon Technologies LLC

Henrik Icking

Manfred Mauthe

Vincenzo Costa

Christian Müller

Britta Olschner

Martin Glas

In an embodiment of the invention, an integrated interface apparatus for providing a serial differential data input for an integrated processor of a mobile radio terminal has a data reception apparatus having a physical layer which can be alternatively operated in a first operating mode according to a first interface standard or in a second operating mode according to a second interface standard, the first interface standard and the second interface standard not being compatible with one another with respect to the physical layer. In another embodiment of the invention, a method for operating an integrated interface apparatus is provided.

Integrated interface apparatus and method of operating an integrated interface apparatus

Various aspects are described, such as a method for operating a level shifter, in which the level shifter is coupled to a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage different from the first supply voltage. The method may include detecting whether the first supply voltage is present, and decoupling an input of the level shifter from an output of the level shifter responsive to detecting that the first supply voltage is not present.

Level shifting

In order to generate a control signal for adjusting a driver stage with an adjustable output impedance, an impedance signal is generated for a measure of the output impedance of the driver stage. The difference between the impedance signal and a reference signal is calculated, and passed to a sigma-delta modulator to generate a digital bitstream signal. The control signal is then generated depending on the bitstream signal, where the frequencies of the two signal states in the bitstream signal are evaluated by means of digital counters. Depending on the difference of the determined frequencies of the two signal states, a counter is increased or reduced, and the control signal is generated depending on the count of the counter. The impedance signal may be generated by a replica circuit of a pull-up region or a pull-down region of the driver stage to be adjusted.

Adjusting driver stage output impedance

To output a digital signal in particular according to the LVDS (low voltage differential signalling) standard, a driver stage is supplied with a constant current and thus supplies the digital signal in the form of a current signal with defined current values. As a result of line capacitances of a transmission line, because of the current limited according to the standard the edge steepness and hence the maximum transmittable bit rate can deteriorate. According to the invention, therefore, at least essentially in synchronization with a triggering of the driver stage, at least one current increase signal is generated which via a capacitor causes an additional current increase in the output current of the driver stage. Preferably, the current increase signal via the respective capacitor is switched directly to an output of the driver stage. By using a capacitor, with very little expenditure a limited current pulse can be switched in a temporally targeted manner on the switching processes of the driver stage.

Process and device for outputting a digital signal

A circuit arrangement for controlling an amplitude of an oscillator signal is accomplished by comparing the oscillator signal to reference signals. The amplitude of the oscillator signal is capable of being adjusted by means of a control signal. The control signal is developed by a regulating circuit that depends upon a comparison result of the oscillator signal with a reference signal such that the amplitude of the oscillator signal adopts a desired value. At least one further reference signal is compared to the oscillator signal and the regulating circuit is adjusted depending on the comparison.

Method and circuit arrangement for amplitude regulation of an oscillator signal

The invention relates to a driver circuit with

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Munich, Germany

Henrik Icking