SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links

Junsheng Lü, Hao Ju, Mao Ye, Feng Zhang, Jianzhong Zhao and Yumei Zhou

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Lü Junsheng, Email:junsheng.lv@gmail.com

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Abstract: A multi-standard compatible transmitter with pre-emphasis for high speed serial links is presented. Based on the comparison between voltage mode (VM) and current mode (CM) output driver architectures, a low power CM output driver with reverse scaling and bias current filtering technique is proposed. A 2-tap pre-emphasis filter is used to reduce the intersymbol interference caused by the low-pass channel, and a high speed, low power combined serializer is implemented to convert 10 bit parallel data into a serial data stream. The whole transmitter is fabricated in 65 nm 1.2 V/2.5 V CMOS technology. It provides an eye height greater than 800 mV for data rates of both 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s. The output root mean square jitter of the transmitter at 5 Gb/s is only 9.94 ps without pre-emphasis. The transmitter consumes 41.2 mA at 5 Gb/s and occupies only 240×140 μm2.

Key words: high speed serial linkslow powertransmitterpre-emphasisreverse scalingbias current filtering



[1]
PCI Express Base Specification Rev 2. 1. PCI-SIG, 2009
[2]
Fukuda K, Yamashita H, Ono G, et al. A 12.3-mW 12.5-Gb/s complete transceiver in 65-nm CMOS process. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2010, 45(12):2838 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2010.2075410
[3]
Kossel M, Menolfi C, Weiss J, et al. A T-coil-enhanced 8.5 Gb/s high-swing SST transmitter in 65 nm bulk CMOS with < -16 dB return loss over 10 GHz bandwidth. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(12):2905 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2006230
[4]
Sredojević R, Stojanović V. Fully digital transmit equalizer with dynamic impedance modulation. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2011, 46(8):2905 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5871693/
[5]
Lin C, Jou S. 4/2 PAM pre-emphasis transmitter with combined driver and mux. Proceeding of ASSCC, 2005:189 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4017563/keywords
[6]
Schrader J, Klumperrink E A M, Visschers J, et al. Pulse-width modulation pre-emphasis applied in a wireline transmitter, achieving 33 dB loss compensation at 5 Gb/s in 0.13μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(4):990 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.870897
[7]
Higashi H, Masaki S, Kibune M, et al. A 5-6.4-Gb/s 12-channel transceiver with pre-emphasis and equalization. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(4):978 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.845562
[8]
Nishi Y, Abe K, Ribo J, et al. An ASIC-ready 1.25-6.25Gb/s SerDes in 90 nm CMOS with multi-standard compatibility. Proceeding of ASSCC, 2008:37 https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.ieee-art-000004708723
[9]
Lv J, Ju H, Yuan L, et al. A high speed low jitter LVDS output driver for serial links. Springer Analog Integrated Circuit and Signal Processing, 2011, 68:387 doi: 10.1007/s10470-011-9658-x
[10]
Fukaishi M, Nakamura K, Sato M, et al. A 4.25-Gb/s CMOS fiber channel transceiver with asynchronous tree-type demultiplexer and frequency conversion architecture. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1998, 33(12):2139 doi: 10.1109/4.735557
[11]
Säckinger E, Fischer W C. A 3-GHz 32-dB CMOS limiting amplifier for SONET OC-48 receivers. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35(12):1884 doi: 10.1109/4.890301
[12]
Gondi S, Razavi B. Equalization and clock and data recovery techniques for 10-Gb/s CMOS serial-link receivers. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(9):1999 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2007.903076
[13]
Sun Y, Yu X, Rhee W, et al. Low-noise fractional-N PLL design with mixed-mode triple-input LC VCO in 65 nm CMOS. Proceeding of RFIC, 2010:61 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5477397/citations
Fig. 1.  Equivalent circuit of the 2-tap (a) VM and (b) CM pre-emphasis output driver.

Fig. 2.  Overview of a serial transmitter for PCI-express.

Fig. 3.  Block diagram of the serializer.

Fig. 4.  Block diagram of the CM output driver.

Fig. 5.  (a) Simplified schematic of 2-tap CM pre-emphasis output driver and equivalent circuit when A[0] and An[-1] are fed with the (b) same and (c) inversed sign of data.

Fig. 6.  Single-ended circuit realization of a reverse scaling CM output driver.

Fig. 7.  BCF for the CM output driver.

Fig. 8.  Simulation of output common mode voltage with/without BCF.

Fig. 9.  Die micrograph of the transmitter.

Fig. 10.  Measured differential output eye diagram at the data rate of (a) 2.5Gb/s and (b) 5Gb/s.

Fig. 11.  Measured differential output eye diagram at the data rate of 5 Gb/s with (a) 3.5 dB and (b) 6 dB pre-emphasis.

Table 1.   Comparison of VM and CM pre-emphasis output driver.

Table 2.   Performance summary of the transmitter.

[1]
PCI Express Base Specification Rev 2. 1. PCI-SIG, 2009
[2]
Fukuda K, Yamashita H, Ono G, et al. A 12.3-mW 12.5-Gb/s complete transceiver in 65-nm CMOS process. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2010, 45(12):2838 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2010.2075410
[3]
Kossel M, Menolfi C, Weiss J, et al. A T-coil-enhanced 8.5 Gb/s high-swing SST transmitter in 65 nm bulk CMOS with < -16 dB return loss over 10 GHz bandwidth. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(12):2905 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2006230
[4]
Sredojević R, Stojanović V. Fully digital transmit equalizer with dynamic impedance modulation. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2011, 46(8):2905 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5871693/
[5]
Lin C, Jou S. 4/2 PAM pre-emphasis transmitter with combined driver and mux. Proceeding of ASSCC, 2005:189 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4017563/keywords
[6]
Schrader J, Klumperrink E A M, Visschers J, et al. Pulse-width modulation pre-emphasis applied in a wireline transmitter, achieving 33 dB loss compensation at 5 Gb/s in 0.13μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(4):990 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.870897
[7]
Higashi H, Masaki S, Kibune M, et al. A 5-6.4-Gb/s 12-channel transceiver with pre-emphasis and equalization. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(4):978 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.845562
[8]
Nishi Y, Abe K, Ribo J, et al. An ASIC-ready 1.25-6.25Gb/s SerDes in 90 nm CMOS with multi-standard compatibility. Proceeding of ASSCC, 2008:37 https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.ieee-art-000004708723
[9]
Lv J, Ju H, Yuan L, et al. A high speed low jitter LVDS output driver for serial links. Springer Analog Integrated Circuit and Signal Processing, 2011, 68:387 doi: 10.1007/s10470-011-9658-x
[10]
Fukaishi M, Nakamura K, Sato M, et al. A 4.25-Gb/s CMOS fiber channel transceiver with asynchronous tree-type demultiplexer and frequency conversion architecture. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1998, 33(12):2139 doi: 10.1109/4.735557
[11]
Säckinger E, Fischer W C. A 3-GHz 32-dB CMOS limiting amplifier for SONET OC-48 receivers. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35(12):1884 doi: 10.1109/4.890301
[12]
Gondi S, Razavi B. Equalization and clock and data recovery techniques for 10-Gb/s CMOS serial-link receivers. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(9):1999 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2007.903076
[13]
Sun Y, Yu X, Rhee W, et al. Low-noise fractional-N PLL design with mixed-mode triple-input LC VCO in 65 nm CMOS. Proceeding of RFIC, 2010:61 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5477397/citations
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    Received: 18 October 2012 Revised: 18 February 2013 Online: Published: 01 July 2013

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      Junsheng Lü, Hao Ju, Mao Ye, Feng Zhang, Jianzhong Zhao, Yumei Zhou. A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(7): 075002. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/7/075002 J S Lü, H Ju, M Ye, F Zhang, J Z Zhao, Y M Zhou. A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(7): 075002. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/34/7/075002.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Junsheng Lü, Hao Ju, Mao Ye, Feng Zhang, Jianzhong Zhao, Yumei Zhou. A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(7): 075002. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/7/075002

      J S Lü, H Ju, M Ye, F Zhang, J Z Zhao, Y M Zhou. A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(7): 075002. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/34/7/075002.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      A 5 Gb/s low power current-mode transmitter with pre-emphasis for serial links

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/7/075002
      Funds:

      Project supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2011AA010403) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 60801045)

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 60801045

      the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China 2011AA010403

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Lü Junsheng, Email:junsheng.lv@gmail.com
      • Received Date: 2012-10-18
      • Revised Date: 2013-02-18
      • Published Date: 2013-07-01

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