Agere Systems Inc.

Abhishek Duggal

Christopher John Abel

Donald Raymond Laturell

Joseph Anidjar

Vladimir Sindalovsky

Peter C Metz

James D Chlipala

Signal processing circuitry having parallel processing channels has clock-generation circuitry that generates (i) high-speed clock signals used to drive the channels and (ii) synchronization signals used to reset the processing of the channels. In one embodiment, the signal processing circuitry has multiple multiplexing channels arranged in one or more macrocells, each macrocell having one or more channels and a phase-locked loop (PLL) that generates a high-speed PLL clock signal and a synchronization signal for the macrocell's channels. Each channel has a counter that implements a state machine used to drive the multiplexing processing, where the state machine is reset to a specified state upon receipt of each synchronization pulse in the synchronization signal.

Reduction of data skew in parallel processing circuits

A system for a backplane that employs i) an adjustment of positive-to-negative (P-N) driver skew of a transmit signal of a relatively high-speed differential driver to reduce far-end crosstalk, ii) a high-speed differential subtraction circuit combining a gain-adjusted replica of at least one transmit signal with a received signal to reduce near-end crosstalk, and iii) a phase-locked loop (PLL) synchronization circuit to align timing events between a set of near-end and far-end high-speed interfaces.

Crosstalk reduction in a backplane employing low-skew clock distribution

Methods and apparatus are provided for sigma-delta delay control in a Delay-Locked-Loop that employs a delay line to generate a clock signal based on a reference signal. A first value is generated if a clock signal has a time lead relative to a reference signal; and a second value is generated if a clock signal has a time lag relative to a reference signal. The first and second values are accumulated to generate an N bit digital word; and the N bit digital word is reduced to an M bit digital word, where M is less than N. Thereafter, the M bit digital word can be converted to an analog bias signal. The reducing step can be performed, for example, by a sigma-delta modulator. The high frequency quantization noise generated by the sigma-delta modulator can be filtered using a low pass filter. The converting step can be performed by a digital-to-analog converter, such as a master/slave digital-to-analog converter.

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Allentown, PA, United States of America

Abhishek Duggal