Multi-Stage Line Receiver Sampling for Bandwidth and Linearity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional line receivers face challenges in maintaining linearity and bandwidth due to the reduction in supply voltage, which affects the performance of discrete-time circuits, and the use of buffers or large inductors to compensate for these issues adds complexity and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A line receiver design that employs multiple sampling stages to sample input signals, where the first stage samples current and the second stage samples voltage, allowing for increased bandwidth without sacrificing linearity or requiring large inductors, and utilizing a common mode feedback circuit to maintain voltage stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If supply voltage is reduced, then power consumption decreases, but linearity and bandwidth performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidlinearity performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver is divided into multiple discrete-time sampling stages, each operating at different sampling rates. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high bandwidth performance without requiring high supply voltage, as each stage processes a portion of the signal spectrum independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional continuous-time analog buffering and large inductor-based filtering with discrete-time sampling and digital signal processing. This substitution eliminates the need for voltage-intensive analog components while maintaining signal integrity and linearity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If buffers or large inductors are used to compensate for voltage reduction effects, then linearity is maintained, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelinearityVSAvoidcircuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes traditional analog compensation components (buffers and large inductors) with discrete-time sampling circuits and integration stages. This replacement reduces device complexity by eliminating bulky inductors and high-power buffers while achieving the same linearity preservation through temporal sampling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operating parameters by using multiple sampling rates across different stages. This parameter variation allows the circuit to maintain linearity without requiring additional analog compensation components, thereby reducing overall circuit complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Speed

If multiple sampling stages are used, then bandwidth is enhanced without sacrificing linearity, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidcircuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver is segmented into multiple sampling stages operating at different rates, where each stage handles a specific portion of the signal processing. This segmentation achieves high bandwidth by parallelizing signal processing across stages while managing complexity through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The discrete-time sampling stages serve multiple functions: they perform signal sampling, filtering, and bandwidth expansion simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity despite the multi-stage architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3285445B1Multiple sampling stage line receiver and related methods
Publication Date: 2022.01.26 MEDIATEK INC
  • EP3285445B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3285445B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3285445B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A line receiver including an analog-to-digital converter is described. The line receiver may include an input stage, a first sampling stage, an integration stage, and a second sampling stage. The input stage may be configured to receive an input voltage representative of a signal transmitted by a transmitter, and to convert the input voltage to a current. The input stage may include a trans-conductance stage. The current may be sampled using the first sampling stage. The sampled current may be converted to a voltage using the integration stage. The integration stage may include a trans-impedance stage. The voltage obtained using the integration stage may be sampled using the second sampling stage.