Intel L3426 BV80605004737AA Data Sheet

Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 3000 Series Datasheet

25

Most processor Front Side Bus signals use Gunning Transceiver Logic (GTL+) signaling 
technology. This technology provides improved noise margins and reduced ringing 
through low voltage swings and controlled edge rates.

 

Platforms implement a 

termination voltage level for GTL+ signals defined as V

TT

. Because platforms implement 

separate power planes for each processor (and chipset), separate V

CC

 and V

TT 

supplies 

are necessary. This configuration allows for improved noise tolerance as processor 
frequency increases. Speed enhancements to data and address busses have caused 
signal integrity considerations and platform design methods to become even more 
critical than with previous processor families. 

The GTL+ inputs require a reference voltage (GTLREF) which is used by the receivers to 
determine if a signal is a logical 0 or a logical 1. GTLREF must be generated on the 
motherboard (see 

 for GTLREF specifications). Termination resistors (R

TT

) for 

GTL+ signals are provided on the processor silicon and are terminated to V

TT

. Intel 

chipsets will also provide on-die termination, thus eliminating the need to terminate the 
bus on the motherboard for most GTL+ signals.

The front side bus signals have been combined into groups by buffer type. GTL+ input 
signals have differential input buffers, which use GTLREF[1:0] as a reference level. In 
this document, the term “GTL+ Input” refers to the GTL+ input group as well as the 
GTL+ I/O group when receiving. Similarly, “GTL+ Output” refers to the GTL+ output 
group as well as the GTL+ I/O group when driving. 

With the implementation of a source synchronous data bus comes the need to specify 
two sets of timing parameters. One set is for common clock signals which are 
dependent upon the rising edge of BCLK0 (ADS#, HIT#, HITM#, etc.) and the second 
set is for the source synchronous signals which are relative to their respective strobe 
lines (data and address) as well as the rising edge of BCLK0. Asychronous signals are 
still present (A20M#, IGNNE#, etc.) and can become active at any time during the 
clock cycle. 

 identifies which signals are common clock, source synchronous, 

and asynchronous.

GTL+ Common 

Clock Input

Synchronous to 

BCLK[1:0]

BPRI#, DEFER#, RESET#, RS[2:0]#, TRDY#

GTL+ Common 

Clock I/O

Synchronous to 

BCLK[1:0]

ADS#, BNR#, BPM[5:0]#, BR0#, DBSY#, DRDY#, HIT#, HITM#, 

LOCK#

GTL+ Source 

Synchronous I/O

Synchronous to 

assoc. strobe

REQ[4:0]#, A[16:3]#

3

ADSTB0#

A[35:17]#

3

ADSTB1#

D[15:0]#, DBI0# 

DSTBP0#, DSTBN0#

D[31:16]#, DBI1# 

DSTBP1#, DSTBN1#

D[47:32]#, DBI2# 

DSTBP2#, DSTBN2#

D[63:48]#, DBI3# 

DSTBP3#, DSTBN3#