Full-rate transmitter

A method for transmitting data over a high-speed data channel, the method comprising:

• receiving a parallel input data stream from an integrated circuit (IC) at each of a set of tap inputs according to an input clocking signal at an IC data rate;
• outputting a serial data stream according to the parallel input data stream;
• generating a full-rate clocking signal from the input clocking signal, the full-rate clocking signal supporting a channel data rate of the high-speed data channel;
• generating a set of pre-driver outputs for each of N pre-driver slices at the channel data rate, where N is a positive integer, the pre-driver outputs generated as a function of the serial data stream and corresponding to weighting the set of tap inputs as a function of a set of adjustable tap weight inputs;
• generating a set of driver inputs for each of N driver slices according to outputs of a driver multiplexer and the pre-driver outputs of a corresponding one of the N pre-driver slices, the driver multiplexer clocked according to the full-rate clocking signal;
• and
• generating an output data signal for transmission over the data channel at the channel data rate, the generating being performed by the driver slices as a function of the driver inputs.

A method for forming a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) transmitter, the method comprising:

• disposing a serializer subsystem on a substrate to receive a parallel input data stream from an integrated circuit (IC) at each of a set of tap inputs according to an input clocking signal at an IC data rate, the parallel digital interface subsystem further to output a serial data stream;
• disposing a clocking subsystem on the substrate to generate a full-rate clocking signal from the input clocking signal, the full-rate clocking signal supporting a channel data rate of the high-speed data channel;
• disposing a pre-driver logic subsystem on the substrate to generate a set of pre-driver outputs for each of N pre-driver slices at the channel data rate, where N is a positive integer, the pre-driver outputs generated as a function of the serial data stream and corresponding to weighting the set of tap inputs as a function of a set of adjustable tap weight inputs;
• disposing a transmitter driver subsystem on the substrate to generate an output data signal for transmission over the data channel at the channel data rate, the transmitter driver subsystem comprising a plurality of driver multiplexers and N driver slices, the driver multiplexer clocked according to the full-rate clocking signal, each driver slice having a set of driver inputs generated according to outputs of the driver multiplexer and the pre-driver outputs of a corresponding one of the N pre-driver slices;
• and
• disposing an inductor on the substrate such that the inductor partially overlaps an output bump disposed on the substrate, and the inductor is coupled with the transmitter driver subsystem.