# US 10,873,323 B2 · Systems and methods for calibrating impedance of a low power voltage-mode transmitter driver

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- Number: US 10,873,323 B2
- Document ID: US10873323B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/778,622
- Filed: 2020-01-31
- Published: 2020-08-06
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-31
- Assignees: Marvell Asia Pte Ltd
- Applicants: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd.
- Inventors: Fei Guo; Yihui Li; Hong Xue; Xin Ma; Hui Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873323B2

## CPC

- H03K 3/011: Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. voltage, temperature {(to maintain energy constant H03K3/015)}
- H03K 19/0005: {Modifications of input or output impedance}
- H03H 11/28: Impedance matching networks
- H03K 5/1252: Suppression or limitation of noise or interference (specially adapted for transmission systems H04B15/00, H04L25/08)
- H03K 17/687: the devices being field-effect transistors
- H03K 19/00: Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one output (circuits for computer systems using fuzzy logic G06N7/02); Inverting circuits
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P)

## Abstract

A low-power transmitter for transmitting digital signals from an integrated chip is described herein. The transmitter includes a voltage-mode transmitter driver comprised of a plurality of driver slices, which includes an up-cell having a first resistor and a first transistor, and a down-cell having a second resistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor. A calibration circuit drives a replica circuit to a desired impedance by adjusting a first gate voltage applied to the first transistor of the replica of the up-cell and adjusting a second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of the replica of the down-cell. The calibrated first gate voltage is applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and the calibrated second gate voltage is applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A low-power transmitter for transmitting digital signals from an integrated chip, the transmitter comprising:
a voltage-mode transmitter driver comprised of a plurality of driver slices, wherein each driver slice includes:
an up-cell comprising a first resistor and a first transistor, wherein the up-cell is connected to a voltage source and an output end of the voltage-mode transmitter driver; and
a down-cell comprising a second resistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor, wherein the down-cell is connected to the output end of the voltage-mode transmitter driver and a ground;
a replica circuit comprising a replica of the up-cell and a replica of the down-cell; and
a calibration circuit configured to drive the replica circuit to a desired impedance by adjusting a first gate voltage applied to a first transistor of the replica of the up-cell to be equal to a calibrated first gate voltage and adjusting a second gate voltage applied to a third transistor of the replica of the down-cell to be equal to a calibrated second gate voltage; and
a bias generator configured to:
receive the calibrated first gate voltage and the calibrated second gate voltage from the calibration circuit; and
apply the calibrated first gate voltage to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and apply the calibrated second gate voltage to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 1, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, the up-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices is configured to generate an impedance matching an impedance of the corresponding down-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 2, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and to the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, a total impedance of the up-cells of the plurality of driver slices is equal to the impedance of the replica of the up-cell.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 2, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, a total impedance of the down-cells of the plurality of driver slices is equal to the impedance of the replica of the down-cell.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the replica of the up-cell further comprises:
a replica of the first resistor and a replica of the first transistor, wherein the replica of the up-cell is connected to the voltage source and the output end of the voltage-mode transmitter driver;
wherein the replica of the down-cell further comprises:
a replica of the second resistor, a replica of the second transistor, and a replica of the third transistor, wherein the replica of the down-cell is connected to the output end of the voltage-mode transmitter driver and the ground.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 5, wherein the calibration circuit further comprises:
a second down-cell comprising a fourth transistor and a third resistor;
a constant current source configured to feed a constant current into the second down-cell to generate an output voltage;
a comparator configured to compare the output voltage generated by the second down-cell to a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage; and
a calibration logic control configured to adjust an impedance of the second down-cell to match a first pre-determined impedance based on an output of the comparator by tuning the second gate voltage via a bias generator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 6, wherein the bias generator is configured to lower the second gate voltage in response to the calibration logic control receiving a high-level output from the comparator indicative of an impedance of the second down-cell being low; and
wherein the bias generator is configured to increase the second gate voltage in response to the calibration logic control receiving a low-level output from the comparator indicative of an impedance of the second down-cell being high.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 6, wherein the calibration circuit is further configured to:
maintain, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage at a voltage at which the impedance of the second down-cell matches the first pre-determined impedance;
adjust, via the bias generator, the first gate voltage to a voltage at which an impedance of the replica of the up-cell matches a second pre-determined impedance; and
calibrate the first gate voltage to be a voltage at which the impedance of the replica of the up-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the calibration circuit is further configured to:
maintain, via the bias generator, the calibrated first gate voltage;
adjust, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage such that an impedance of the replica of the down-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance; and
calibrate the second gate voltage to be a voltage at which the impedance of the replica of the down-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The low-power transmitter according to claim 9, wherein the bias generator is configured to supply the calibrated first gate voltage to the first transistor and the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and supply the calibrated second gate voltage to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices.

### Claim 11

A method for transmitting digital signals from an integrated chip via a low-power transmitter comprised of a plurality of driver slices, the method comprising:
calibrating, via a calibration circuit of the low-power transmitter, a first gate voltage and a second gate voltage by adjusting a first gate voltage applied to a first transistor of a replica circuit to be equal to a calibrated first gate voltage and adjusting a second gate voltage applied to a third transistor of the replica circuit to be equal to a calibrated second gate voltage;
applying, to a first transistor of an up-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices, the calibrated first gate voltage;
applying, to a second transistor of a down-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices, the calibrated first gate voltage; and
applying, to a third transistor of the down-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices, the calibrated second gate voltage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, the up-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices is configured to generate an impedance matching an impedance of the corresponding down-cell of each of the plurality of driver slices.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and to the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, a total impedance of the up-cells of the plurality of driver slices is equal to the impedance of the replica of the up-cell.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein, in response to having the calibrated first gate voltage applied to the first transistor and to the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and the calibrated second gate voltage applied to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices, a total impedance of the down-cells of the plurality of driver slices is equal to the impedance of the replica of the down-cell.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein calibrating, via the calibration circuit of the low-power transmitter, the first gate voltage and the second gate voltage by driving the replica circuit of the low-power transmitter to a desired impedance comprises:
feeding a constant current via a constant current source into a second down-cell to generate an output voltage;
comparing, via a comparator, the output voltage generated by the second down-cell to a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage; and
adjusting, via a calibration logic control, an impedance of the second down-cell to match a first pre-determined impedance based on an output of the comparator by tuning the second gate voltage via a bias generator.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
decreasing, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage in response to the calibration logic control receiving a high-level output from the comparator indicative of an impedance of the second down-cell being low.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
increasing, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage in response to the calibration logic control receiving a low-level output from the comparator indicative of an impedance of the second down-cell being high.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
maintaining, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage at a voltage at which the impedance of the second down-cell matches the first pre-determined impedance;
adjusting, via the bias generator, the first gate voltage to a voltage at which an impedance of the replica of the up-cell matches a second pre-determined impedance; and
calibrating the first gate voltage to be a voltage at which the impedance of the replica of the up-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, further comprising:
maintaining, via the bias generator, the calibrated first gate voltage;
adjusting, via the bias generator, the second gate voltage such that an impedance of the replica of the down-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance; and
calibrating the second gate voltage to be a voltage at which the impedance of the replica of the down-cell matches the second pre-determined impedance.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, further comprising:
supplying, via the bias generator, the calibrated first gate voltage to the first transistor and the second transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices and supply the calibrated second gate voltage to the third transistor of each of the plurality of driver slices.