Cisco Technology, Inc.

Romesh Kumar Nandwana

Kadaba Lakshmikumar

Abhishek Bhat

Pavan Kumar Hanumolu

Craig S Appel

Alexander Christopher Kurylak

Sanjay Sunder

Yudong Zhang

Bibhu Prasad Das

Richard Van Hoesen Booth

Yongxin Li

Ajay Bharadwaj

A charge-pump based low dropout (LDO) regulator is provided that overcomes latch-up issues. The LDO regulator is a high PSR low noise LDO regulator that uses a latch-up mitigated charge-pump voltage doubler which includes a N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), NMOS, pass transistor. This LDO regulator architecture may be used to provide a very low-noise supply regulated output voltage with high power supply rejection for an on-chip low jitter oscillator. Latch-up is mitigated using control circuitry and a power supply timing sequence. This scheme ensures that parasitic diodes associated with various transistors in the regulator are not forward biased.

Latch-up mitigated charge pump for high power supply rejection low-dropout regulator

Techniques for implementing a differential differencing TIA for coherent applications are disclosed. A method includes receiving first and second optical signals from a 90 degree optical hybrid that receives a coherent optical signal, wherein the first and second optical signals each include one pair of sum and difference signals output by the 90 degree optical hybrid, generating, based on the first optical signal and from a first photo diode, a first differential signal, generating, based on the second optical signal and from a second photo diode, a second differential signal, differentially transconducting the first and second differential signals to produce first and second transconducted signals, performing a differencing operation on the first and second differential transconducted signals to produce a combined differential-differencing transconducted signal that is representative of the first optical signal and the second optical signal, and outputting the combined differential transconducted signal as a differential output.

Differential differencing transimpedance amplifier for coherent applications

A multi-segment digital-to-time converter is provided. The digital-to-time converter includes a plurality of delay stages arranged in series, and a plurality of local synchronization logic circuits each configured to control an associated delay stage of the plurality of delay stages. Each local synchronization logic circuit provides a digital-to-time converter code and a reset signal to the associated delay stage synchronized to a local input clock and a local output clock of the associated delay stage.

Segmented digital-to-time converter

An apparatus includes a delta-sigma modulator digital-to-analog converter section having a multiple stag cascaded error cancellation architecture, each stage including a delta-sigma modulator followed by a digital-to-analog converter, the delta-sigma modulator digital-to-analog converter section configured to receive a digital input and to generate an analog output. An inverting amplifier-based analog filter is coupled to receive the analog output, the inverting amplifier-based analog filter configured to filter the analog output to produce a filtered analog output.

Error cancellation delta-sigma DAC with an inverting amplifier-based filter

Presented herein are techniques for implementing a hybrid fractional-N sampling phase locked loop with accurate digital-to-time calibration. A method includes receiving, at a comparator, an output of a sampling phase detector of a phase locked loop, the output of the sampling phase detector of the phase locked loop also being supplied as a control source for a proportional control input of a voltage-controlled oscillator, supplying an output of the comparator as an input signal to a calibration loop of a digital-to-time converter, supplying an output of the digital-to-time converter to an input of the sampling phase detector, and supplying the output of the comparator as a control source for an integral control input of the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Hybrid fractional-N sampling phase locked loop (PLL) with accurate digital-to-time converter (DTC) calibration

A receiver is provided that includes a plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes each of which is configured to receive an analog receive signal from an analog front-end and produce digital sub-rate receiver data. The receiver includes one or more first digital-to-analog converters (DACs) (also referred to herein as 'average' DACs) shared across the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes, and one or more second DACs (also referred to herein as “mismatch cancellation” DACs) for each sub-rate receiver lane of the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes. The one or more second DACs of a respective sub-rate receiver lane provide output to be combined with an output of a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs during processing of the analog receive signal in the respective sub-rate receiver lane to account for a sub-rate receiver lane specific offset with respect to a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs.

Low area equalizer with lane mismatch adaptation for sub-rate receivers

An asymmetric signal path approach is used to extract differential signals out of the photodetector (e.g., a photodiode) for amplification by a differential transimpedance amplifier (TIA). This asymmetric-path differential TIA configuration has less low-frequency Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) (also known as Baseline Wander), less high-frequency noise amplification, and higher bandwidth capabilities. There is no power penalty with this design in comparison to a single-ended TIA, can extend the range of the link for a given system power consumption, and can decrease transmitter power for a given range.

Differential transimpedance amplifier employing asymmetric signal paths

Presented herein are techniques for implementing a differential sub-sampling phase locked loop (PLL). A method includes detecting a common-mode voltage on an output of a differential sub-sampling phase detector operating in the differential sub-sampling phase locked loop, and controlling, based on the common-mode voltage, a duty cycle of a feedback signal of the differential sub-sampling phase locked loop that is fed back to the differential sub-sampling phase detector.

Calibration loop for differential sub-sampling phase detector in sub-sampling phase locked loop

An accurate replica oscillator-based frequency tracking loop (FTL) is provided. The replica oscillator used in the FTL can be at a lower frequency and therefore can consume much lower power compared to a main oscillator, such as an injection locked oscillator (ILO). The proposed FTL accurately sets the free running frequency of an ILO across process, voltage and temperature (PVT). Techniques are also provided to compensate the gain and offset error between the replica oscillator and the ILO.

Frequency tracking loop using a scaled replica oscillator for injection locked oscillators

A multi-port coupled inductor with interference suppression is provided with a first signal port connected to a first resistor port via a first inductor; a second resistor port connected to the first resistor port via a second inductor; a second signal port connected to the second resistor port via a third inductor; a third resistor port connected to the first resistor port via a first resistor; a fourth resistor port connected to the third resistor port via a fourth inductor and to the second resistor port via a second resistor; a third signal port connected to the third resistor port via a fifth inductor; and a fourth signal port connected to the fourth resistor port via a sixth inductor.

Multi-port coupled inductor with interference suppression

Presented herein are methodologies for generating clock signals for transceivers that rely on frequency and phase error correction functions. The methodology includes generating a differential clock signal at a fundamental frequency, generating, based on the differential clock signal and using a multiphase generator, four quadrature signals at the fundamental frequency, supplying the four quadrature signals to an injection-locked phase rotator, and outputting, from the injection-locked phase rotator, a phase adjusted multiphase clock signal based on the four quadrature signals.

Dynamic multiphase injection-locked phase rotator for electro-optical transceiver

An apparatus includes a first digital-to-time converter (DTC) and a second DTC. The first DTC includes a sequence of delay stages. Each of the delay stages adds a delay to an input signal based on a control signal. Each delay stage includes a comparator and a capacitor coupled to an input of the comparator and to ground. The second DTC is coupled in parallel to the first DTC. The second DTC adds a delay to the input signal based on a complement of the control signal.

Low integral non-linearity digital-to-time converter for fractional-N PLLS

A clock generator includes a first phase-locked loop (PLL), a converter circuit, and a second PLL. The first PLL generates an oscillating signal based on a reference signal and outputs a noise signal indicating a noise component of the oscillating signal. The converter circuit produces an electrical signal based on the noise signal. The second PLL receives the electrical signal from the converter circuit at a loop filter of the second PLL and generates a clock signal based on the oscillating signal and the electrical signal.

Phase-locked loop with phase noise cancellation

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is described. The VCO includes a plurality of nodes coupled with a plurality of transistors, and a first inductor-capacitor (LC) tank coupled with a second LC tank. The first LC tank and the second LC tank include a shared inductor structure coupled to the plurality of nodes. The first LC tank and the second LC tank each include a capacitor. The capacitors are each coupled on a first side to a node of the plurality of nodes and on a second side to a respective capacitor in the other LC tank. The first LC tank and the second LC tank are configured to resonate at a fundamental frequency for differential-mode signals, and the first LC tank and the second LC tank are configured to resonate at twice the fundamental frequency for common-mode signals.

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Breinigsville, PA, United States of America

Romesh Kumar Nandwana