An explicit approach for bandwidth evaluation of on-chip VLSI RC interconnects with current mode signaling technique

Scarcity of bandwidth demands the efficient use of it for high speed and high data rate transmission systems in VLSI Design and hence an accurate estimation of bandwidth of on-chip VLSI interconnects has become a crucial and an important issue. Current-mode signaling significantly increases the bandwidth of on-chip interconnects compared to voltage mode signaling. A closed form formula for current mode is necessary for estimation of bandwidth for VLSI systems. In this paper, an explicit bandwidth expression is derived by calculating the node voltages of distributed RC line using modified nodal analysis (MNA). Our model is based on the second order transfer function approximation of distributed RC lines. Comparison of results with that of the SPICE models justifies the accuracy of our approach.