A 15-Gb/s 0.0037-mm² 0.019-pJ/Bit Full-Rate Programmable Multi-Pattern Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence Generator

Abstract

This brief presents a compact low-power programmable multi-pattern pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) generator. It is capable of producing 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">7</sup> - 1, 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">15</sup> - 1, 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">23</sup> - 1 and 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">31</sup> - 1 test patterns to meet multiple testing requirements. To reduce power and area, the full-rate architecture with the truly-single-phase clock logic (TSPC) D-flip-flops (DFF) instead of the current-mode logic (CML) DFF is adopted. The multiplexer (MUX) merged TSPC DFF is proposed to avoid the delay of the MUX in conventional multiple pattern PRBS generators. Hence, the critical path delay is reduced, and thus, the maximum data rate can be improved. Fabricated in a 40-nm CMOS process (260-GHz <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> f_T</i> ), this PRBS occupies a core active area of 0.0037 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and operates at a maximum data rate of 15 Gb/s. The measured power consumption is 8.778 mW with 1.1-V supply. The figure-of-merit (FoM) is 0.019 pJ/bit at the pattern length of 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">31</sup> - 1.