Repeater Insertion in SFQ Interconnect

Abstract

Superconductive passive transmission lines (PTL) are widely used for signal routing in large-scale rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits. Due to the imperfect matching of the transmission lines between the driver and receiver, single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses are partially reflected. The round trip propagation time of these reflections can coincide with the following SFQ pulse, resulting in a decrease in bias margins or incorrect circuit behavior. This resonant effect depends upon the length of the PTL and the clock frequency of the signal. A methodology to reduce and manage this effect is the focus of this article. A closed-form expression describing the dependence of the resonance frequency on the length of the PTL is presented. This expression describes a set of forbidden lengths for PTL interconnect segments in RSFQ circuits. The proposed methodology and algorithm insert active PTL-based repeaters into long superconductive interconnect while ensuring the length of the line segment is outside the forbidden region and increasing bias margins.