Interpolator Cells With Non-Uniform Drive for Better Signal Linearity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interpolators face signal nonlinearity issues due to uniform driving capabilities of pulling-up and pulling-down circuits, leading to degraded performance.
Innovation Solution
The interpolator employs a plurality of interpolation cells with non-uniform driving capabilities by using pairs of switches and impedance devices to selectively enable/disable pulling-up and pulling-down circuits, ensuring that the driving capabilities of the circuits are not all equal, allowing for controlled phase interpolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform driving capabilities are used in all interpolation cells, then the circuit design is simple and easy to manufacture, but signal nonlinearity occurs and performance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the driving capabilities of pulling-up circuits and pulling-down circuits non-uniform across different interpolation cells. Specifically, different interpolation cells have different driving capabilities (e.g., first interpolation cell has first driving capability, second interpolation cell has second driving capability), which compensates for signal nonlinearity and improves overall interpolation performance while maintaining a relatively simple circuit structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If non-uniform driving capabilities are used in interpolation cells, then signal linearity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the driving capabilities of pulling-up and pulling-down circuits across different interpolation cells. This is achieved by adjusting circuit parameters (such as transistor sizes or resistance values) to create different driving capabilities (first driving capability, second driving capability, etc.), which improves signal linearity without requiring fundamentally different circuit architectures.
Data Source
AI summary
An interpolator includes interpolation cells. Each interpolation cell includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit. The first driving unit includes a first pulling-up circuit for selectively coupling an output terminal to a high voltage, a first pulling-down circuit for selectively coupling the output terminal to a low voltage, and a pair of first switches for selectively enabling/disabling the first pulling-up circuit and the first pulling-down circuit. The second driving unit includes a second pulling-up circuit for selectively coupling the output terminal to the high voltage, a second pulling-down circuit for selectively coupling the output terminal to the low voltage, and a pair of second switches for selectively enabling/disabling the second pulling-up circuit and the second pulling-down circuit. Driving capabilities of the first and second pulling-up circuits are not all equal, and/or driving capabilities of the first and second pulling-down circuits are not all equal.