On-Package I/O Interface With Distributed ESD Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional input/output interfaces in high-bandwidth applications require significant power and chip area, making them undesirable for applications needing reduced power consumption and smaller chip sizes.
Innovation Solution
The development of on-package input/output (OPIO) interfaces with high-speed, single-ended CMOS interfaces, impedance-matched transmitters, forwarded clock signals, and reduced electrostatic discharge protection to achieve low power, area, and latency, along with a non-linear feedback inverter termination scheme to minimize power and area overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional input/output interfaces are used for high-bandwidth interconnections, then bandwidth is achieved, but power consumption and chip area increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The I/O interface is divided into multiple lanes, with each lane handling a portion of the total bandwidth. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high aggregate bandwidth while each individual lane consumes less power, thereby resolving the contradiction between total bandwidth and power consumption per interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the I/O interface by using lower voltage levels and optimized signaling schemes that maintain high data rates while reducing power consumption. This allows achieving high bandwidth without proportionally increasing power usage
2Productivity
If conventional input/output interfaces are used for high-bandwidth interconnections, then bandwidth is achieved, but chip area increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the high-bandwidth interface into multiple smaller lanes, the patent reduces the area required per lane while maintaining total bandwidth through parallel operation. This segmentation allows more efficient packing of I/O resources on the chip
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple lanes are merged to achieve the required total bandwidth, allowing the system to use smaller, more efficient individual interface units that collectively provide the needed performance while occupying less total chip area than a single conventional high-bandwidth interface
3Use of energy by moving object
If reduced ESD protection is used in OPIO interfaces, then power and area are reduced, but protection against electrostatic discharge is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
ESD protection is distributed across multiple locations within the interface rather than concentrated in a single heavy protection circuit. This segmentation allows adequate protection at each point while keeping overall power consumption and area low
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies ESD protection selectively at critical points in the interface where it is most needed, rather than uniformly across the entire interface. This localized approach provides necessary reliability while minimizing power consumption and area overhead
Data Source
AI summary
An on-package interface. A first set of single-ended transmitter circuits on a first die. A first set of single-ended receiver circuits on a second die. The receiver circuits have a termination circuit comprising an inverter and a resistive feedback element. A plurality of conductive lines couple the first set of transmitter circuits and the first set of receiver circuits. The lengths of the plurality of conductive lines are matched.