[SI-LIST] Re: DDR Vref Bypassing - Please explain pseudo diff

  • From: "Chris Cheng" <Chris.Cheng@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 11:07:42 -0700

I think you are confused. 
Both differential and pseudo differential signaling scheme use truely 
differential receivers. The only difference is differential scheme provide a 
regular output and the complement of the output to feed into both sides of the 
differential receiver while pseudo differential scheme only send out the 
regular output and tie the other input of the differential receiver to a known 
reference voltage, typically the mid-point between Voh/Vhl.
There is no such thing as current mode driver for DDR.
The original intend of the pseudo differential receiver (such as the original 
GTL system) was to track low speed VTT differences across vastly seperated 
boards in a backplane system while saving pins and I/O by not providing the 
complement output. It makes the assumption that the combined reference plane 
(gnd in most cases) and Vref generation through the resistor divider is 
sufficient to hold the common mode variation in check.
________________________________

From: si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Muranyi, Arpad
Sent: Fri 7/22/2005 9:34 AM
To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: DDR Vref Bypassing - Please explain pseudo diff



Charles,=20

By pseudo differential we mean that you associate two
normal single ended buffers and/or receivers and call
them differential because the signal you driver through
them are complementary.

The problem with this scheme is that each of the two
signals will be ground and/or power supply referenced,
and as such, the noise in any of the power supplies will
go right into your signals.  This is what the Vref comment
was referring to.

A fully differential system would be completely
independent from the rails, floating anywhere it
pleases, yet still have a well defined differential
voltage between the pair.  In a driver design this
can be achieved with four current steering transistors
surrounded by two current sources, one on the gnd
rail side and the other on the power rail side of
the switchers.  The two current sources are responsible
for letting the switchers float and be independent
from the rails.

A "compromise" solution is half way between these two,
hence I like to call it "half differential", where
one current source and two of the switchers are replaced
by a couple of resistors.  Several well known buses use
this configuration (SATA, PCIexpress, USB).  In these
designs the "differential signal" is still referenced
to one of the supplies because of the presence of the
resistors, but it is independent from the other rail,
because there is still one current source on the other
side.  For these designs you have to keep one of the
rails very clean (the one to which the resistors are
connected), because the noise in that rail will still
go into your signal as common mode noise.

These considerations also have an impact on how you
reference your transmission lines, and how you terminate
them (common mode, differential mode, pi termination,
etc...), power delivery noise, etc...  However, I will
leave these subjects alone for now.

I hope this will help your understanding of differential
signaling.

Arpad Muranyi
Intel Corporation
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