Transmitter equalization for 4-Gbps signaling

Abstract

Most digital systems today use full-swing, unterminated signaling methods that are unsuited for data rates over 100 MHz on 1-meter wires. We are currently developing 0.5-micron CMOS transmitter and receiver circuits that use active equalization to overcome the frequency-dependent attenuation of copper lines. The circuits will operate at 4 Gbps over up to 6 meters of 24AWG twisted pair or up to 1 meter of 5-mil 0.5-oz. PC trace. In addition to frequency-dependent attenuation, timing uncertainty (skew and jitter) and receiver bandwidth are also major obstacles to high-data rates. To address all of these issues, we've given our system the following characteristics: An active transmitter equalizer compensates for the frequency-dependent attenuation of the transmission line. The system performs closed-loop clock recovery independently for each signal line in a manner that cancels all clock and data skew and the low-frequency components of clock jitter. The delay line that generates the transmit and receive clocks (a 400-MHz clock with 10 equally spaced phases) uses several circuit techniques to achieve a total simulated jitter of less than 20 ps in the presence of supply and substrate noise. A clocked receive amplifier with a 50-ps aperture time senses the signal during the center of the eye at the receiver.