An Adaptive Inductorless Continuous Time Equalizer for Gigabit Links in 0.13 um CMOS

A multi-gigabit inductor-less wide-range adaptive continuous time equalizer (CTE) architecture is presented. The incoming data stream is equalized using one-bit post-cursor clock-less dynamic feedback. The circuit adapts to a given link environment (noisy channel and the termination) by controlling the amount of feedback and thereby defining the high-frequency and low-frequency response. The architecture is scalable to higher speeds with technology. The circuit can be operated in different modes based on the attenuation in the input signal at a given operating frequency. Measurement results depict the successful equalization of channels having an attenuation of up to -19 dB at 10 GHz. The circuit is fabricated in 0.13 μm CMOS technology and consumes a current of 39 mA (max.) at (Vdd = 1.32 V) in the low power mode.