Serial Link Transmitter Clamping for Stable Initial Signal Amplitude
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional serial link transmitters induce abnormal initial amplitudes and oscillating levels in differential output voltages, leading to reduced initial amplitude of received signals, which causes errors in out-of-band determination and degrades performance in serial link transmission systems.
Innovation Solution
A serial link transmitter with a differential amplifier and voltage clamping circuit that generates differential output voltages with a common mode voltage, clamping them to the common mode voltage before data transmission to maintain normal initial oscillating amplitudes and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the conventional serial link transmitter disables the differential amplifier during non-data transmission to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the initial amplitude of differential output voltages becomes abnormal when data transmission starts
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage clamping circuit is activated before data transmission begins to clamp the differential output voltages to the common mode voltage. This preliminary action ensures that when data transmission starts, the transmission lines are already charged to the correct voltage level, preventing abnormal initial amplitudes while allowing the differential amplifier to remain disabled for power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage clamping circuit acts as an intermediary between the disabled differential amplifier and the transmission lines. It provides the necessary voltage initialization function without requiring the differential amplifier to be active, thus decoupling the power consumption reduction from the signal quality degradation.
2Reliability
If the differential amplifier is enabled continuously to maintain normal initial amplitudes, then the initial amplitude of received signals is maintained, but power consumption increases during non-data transmission periods
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage clamping circuit performs the voltage initialization function in advance before data transmission begins, eliminating the need for continuous differential amplifier operation. This preliminary voltage setting allows the system to achieve reliable signal amplitudes while minimizing power consumption during idle periods.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the transmission lines are allowed to discharge during non-data transmission, then power consumption is reduced, but the initial oscillating amplitude of differential output voltages is reduced when data transmission starts
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage clamping circuit clamps the differential output voltages to the common mode voltage before data transmission begins, ensuring that the transmission lines are pre-charged to the correct voltage level. This preliminary action prevents voltage discharge during idle periods while ensuring normal initial oscillating amplitudes when data transmission starts.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a serial link transmitter coupled to a serial link receiver through a pair of transmission lines and having a pair of transmitting terminals respectively coupled to one of the transmission lines. The serial link transmitter comprises a differential amplifier and a voltage clamping circuit. The differential amplifier generates a pair of differential output voltages on the transmitting terminals according to a pair of differential input voltages for transmitting data to the serial link receiver, and the differential output voltages are transmitted with a common mode voltage to the serial link receiver during data transmission. The voltage clamping circuit clamps the pair of differential output voltages of the transmitting terminals to the common mode voltage before the serial link transmitter transmits data to the serial link receiver.