High-speed Data Interface Research Articles

Optimized design and characterization of HYLITE, a charge-integration readout chip of XFEL

HYLITE (High dYnamic range free electron Laser Imaging deTEctor) is a charge-integration pixel readout chip designed for SHINE (Shanghai HIgh repetition rate XFEL aNd Extreme light facility). The target specifications for the full-size HYLITE chip include a pixel matrix of 128 × 128 pixels and a frame rate of 10 kHz. In order to meet these specifications, two small-scale chips, designated HYLITE0.1 and HYLITE0.2, were fabricated and underwent comprehensive testing. Some issues were discovered during tests including the noise performance and the error of output ADU (Analog Digital Units) codes.The HYLITE200S represents the third prototype chip developed to address the above issues. The CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuits and glitch-clear clock structures are integrated in pixels. Furthermore, to meet the data output rate requirements of the full-size chip, a high-speed data interface has been designed. Test results show that the signal-to-noise ratio is improved to 9.31 for a 12 keV single photon, and the ADU error is fixed. By integrating a phase-locked loop and a balanced encoding logic, the data interface can work steadily at a speed of 3.125 Gbps.

Characterization and Validation of PAM4 Signaling in Modern Hardware Designs

To satisfy rising data capacity and bandwidth demands, Pulse Amplitude Modulation with 4 levels (PAM4) has become a popular signaling system in high-speed digital communication. As contemporary hardware designs restrict Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) signaling, PAM4 offers an appealing alternative by doubling data flow within the same bandwidth. Using PAM4 signaling provides distinct characterisation and validation problems that must be addressed to assure dependable performance in modern hardware systems. Modern hardware designs' PAM4 signaling characterisation and validation are covered in this research report. PAM4 signaling fundamentals, including modulation technique, signal integrity, and high-speed data transfer, are examined in the research. PAM4's higher data rates and spectrum efficiency are highlighted in the article, along with its implementation issues. Much of the study characterizes PAM4 signaling. This involves developing reliable signal measuring methods, analyzing signal loss owing to ISI and jitter, and assessing PAM4 performance based on hardware components. PAM4 signal behavior under diverse settings is characterized using advanced methods as eye diagram analysis, constellation diagram evaluation, and error vector magnitude (EVM) measurement. The paper tests and simulates PAM4 signaling to validate it. A thorough approach for testing PAM4 performance in lab and real-world conditions is provided. PAM4 signaling resilience in different hardware contexts is tested using specialist test equipment and simulation tools. The validation method includes BER, SNR, and industry standard compliance.The study also examines how new hardware design affects PAM4 signaling. Advanced circuit design, packaging, and material qualities affect signal integrity and performance. High-speed data interface designers and engineers may learn from the paper's ideas for reducing signal degradation and improving PAM4 signaling in complicated hardware systems.

Hardware Design and Implementation of Image Processing System Based on FPGA

Discussed the hardware design and implementation of the image processing system with Virtex-XC5VSX95T as the algorithm processing chip. The large-capacity data storage chip XCF128X is selected to store the program flow. The user clock, DDR2 clock, SATA clock and other clock modules are designed. Designed LVDS and SATA as a high-speed data interface for image data transmission. Designed RS-422 as a communication interface for parameter, command and status data transmission. DDR2 memory modules and NAND Flash are as memory for image data caching. Dedicated voltage regulator chip is selected to meet the requirements of each module of the system for DC voltage. The test proves that the hardware design of the image processing system is correct and can realize the expected function.

A 65-nm CMOS 6-Bit 20 GS/s Time-Interleaved DAC With Full-Binary Sub-DACs

A 6-bit 20 GS/s two-channel time-interleaved current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with compact full-binary sub-DACs is presented. Optimally adjusted transition timings between the input data and the interleaving clock minimize glitches by the time-interleaving switches and enhance the high-frequency linearity. In order to prevent static linearity degradation by the leakage current through the time-interleaving switches, the relationship between the output current and the leakage current is analyzed. The proposed DAC architecture and the pseudo-differential logic gates for the high-speed data interface reduce the circuit complexity as well as the power consumption. The prototype 6-bit 20 GS/s DAC, fabricated in a 65-nm CMOS process, achieves a spurious-free dynamic range of 35.1 dB up to the Nyquist input, and consumes 136 mW given a 1.2-V power supply.

Single-Photon Counting Multicolor Multiphoton Fluorescence Microscope

We present a multicolor multiphoton fluorescence microscope with single-photon counting sensitivity. The system integrates a standard multiphoton fluorescence microscope, an optical grating spectrograph operating in the UV-Vis wavelength region, and a 16-anode photomultiplier tube (PMT). The major technical innovation is in the development of a multichannel photon counting card (mC-PhCC) for direct signal collection from multi-anode PMTs. The electronic design of the mC-PhCC employs a high-throughput, fully-parallel, single-photon counting scheme along with a high-speed electrical or fiber-optical link interface to the data acquisition computer. There is no electronic crosstalk among the detection channels of the mC-PhCC. The collected signal remains linear up to an incident photon rate of 10(8) counts per second. The high-speed data interface offers ample bandwidth for real-time readout: 2 MByte lambda-stacks composed of 16 spectral channels, 256 x 256 pixel image with 12-bit dynamic range can be transferred at 30 frames per second. The modular design of the mC-PhCC can be readily extended to accommodate PMTs of more anodes. Data acquisition from a 64-anode PMT has been verified. As a demonstration of system performance, spectrally resolved images of fluorescent latex spheres and ex-vivo human skin are reported. The multicolor multiphoton microscope is suitable for highly sensitive, real-time, spectrally-resolved three-dimensional imaging in biomedical applications.

A Large Capacity Sample Changer for Fully Automated Gamma Ray Spectroscopy

An automatic sample changer has been developed for use in Ge(Li) gamma ray spectroscopy. The sample changer features remote storage to prevent cross-talk and to reduce background. It has a capacity for 200 samples. It also features automatic setting of the sample to detector distance to optimise the count rate performance. An additional feature is the rotation and vibration of samples during counting to assure that powdered samples are compacted and improve the precision and reproducibility of the counting geometry. Three systems have been equipped with the changer and these are connected to an in-house computer on a first-come-first-served basis via a high speed data interface (153,6Kb).

System Design for Real-time Image Processing Based on Multi-core DSP

In the process of real time image processing, the amount of image processing computing and data is very large, the use of single core or a single DSP can not meet the needs of real-time image processing. This paper designs the new generation multi-core DSP real-time image processing system, the system is a multi-core high performance DSP as the core circuit, and also uses FPGA counterweight device, high-speed data interface and high-speed external memory, to improve the data cache speed and data bandwidth, and the system satisfies the design of low loss and high computational performance. In order to verify the validity and reliability of the system, this paper uses the Hyper Lynx software to carry on the simulation test for the system, and sets the IP and sub net mask of image real time processing to obtain the eye and timing diagram of real-time image processing. Finally, the system image processing performance results can be obtained by the joint debugging, the simulation test results can be seen that the speed of real-time image processing is quick, and the rate of correct recognition is high, which can satisfy the need of real-time image processing, to provide the technical reference for the design of real time image processing system