Patent ID: 7262630

Claim:
An integrated circuit having a programmable termination structure for a first pad and a second pad, the termination structure comprising: a first termination circuit associated with the first pad; a second termination circuit associated with the second pad; a programmable connection between the first and second termination circuits, wherein: the first termination circuit is adapted to support first and second sets of termination schemes; the first set of termination schemes comprises one or more of: at least one single-ended non-thevenin pull-up termination between the first pad and a reference power voltage; at least one single-ended non-thevenin pull-down termination between the first pad and a reference ground node; and at least one single-ended thevenin termination between the first pad and (i) the reference power node and (ii) the reference ground node; the second set of termination schemes comprises one or more of: at least one single-ended non-thevenin user-defined termination between the first pad and a user-defined node; at least one single-ended thevenin termination between the first pad and (i) the user-defined node and (ii) at least one of the reference power node and the reference ground node; and at least one differential termination between the first and second pads; and the first termination circuit comprises a shared resistor that is part of at least one termination scheme in the first set and at least one termination scheme in the second set.