Embedded physical layers with passive interfacing for configurable integrated circuits

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices and systems that embed a physical layer (e.g., an M-PHY) on a configurable integrated circuit (e.g., an FPGA) and include glue hardware that provides AC coupling between a high-speed serial communication device (e.g., a MIPI device) and the configurable integrated circuit. The glue hardware provides AC coupling using only resistors, capacitors, and inductors. The configurable integrated circuit includes a logic block that manages the operation to provide the desired PHY connectivity. Because the disclosed devices and systems use AC coupling, the signaling drive and receive paths are controlled based on the received signal frequency and not based on the mode (e.g., LS mode or HS mode). Specifically, the line state of the MIPI device is inferred from observation of signal transitions as opposed to direct detection of DC signal levels.