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US 8,446,201 B2Granted
High speed rail to rail phase splitter for providing a symmetrical differential output signal having low skew
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorsElie G. Khoury, DC Sessions
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel high-speed phase splitter circuit (100) and method of operation are disclosed. This high-speed phase splitter (100) creates a differential rail-to-rail output signal from a single ended input signal, with an inherent low skew and symmetrical output. The circuit (100) uses a phase splitting input stage (110, 130) followed by several amplification stages (150, 170) that are symmetrical and balanced in nature.
Claims29
A rail-to-rail phase splitter circuit comprising:
- a first supply voltage port as a first rail configured to receive a first potential;
- and
- a second supply voltage port as a second rail configured to receive a second potential that is lower than the received first potential;
- a phase splitter comprising a first branch and a second branch disposed between the first supply voltage port and the second supply voltage port, first through fourth phase splitter output ports, and a phase splitter input port configured to receive a first input signal having rail to rail voltage transitions about a known voltage level;
- a complementary differential amplifier configured to split the input signal into two complementary differential output signals, the complementary differential amplifier comprising a first differential amplifier output port, a second differential amplifier output port, and first through fourth differential amplifier input ports electrically coupled with the first through fourth phase splitter output ports;
- and
- a transimpedance amplifier comprising a first transimpedance amplifier input port and a second transimpedance amplifier input port electrically coupled with the complementary differential amplifier, and a first transimpedance amplifier output port and a second transimpedance amplifier output port configured to provide complementary output signals therefrom that transition from rail to rail between the first and second potentials, wherein the phase splitter, the complementary differential amplifier, and the transimpedance amplifier are disposed between the first supply voltage port and second supply voltage port and configured to receive the first and second potentials.
4 more elements
A method of providing a differential output signal comprising:
- receiving an input signal having rail to rail voltage transitions about a known voltage level from a second voltage level to a first voltage level;
- phase splitting the received input signal into two complementary differential output signals that are spaced one from the other in potential and do not overlap;
- level shifting the two complementary differential output signals to form two level shifted complementary output signals that are other than rail to rail;
- and,
- amplifying the two level shifted complementary output signals.
2 more elements
A non-transitory storage medium configured to store instruction data comprising:
- first instruction data for receiving of an input signal having rail to rail voltage transitions about a known voltage level from a second voltage level to a first voltage level;
- second instruction data for phase splitting the input signal into two complementary differential output signals that are spaced one from the other in potential and do not overlap;
- third instruction data for level shifting the two complementary differential output signals to form two level shifted complementary output signals that are other than rail to rail;
- and,
- fourth instruction data for amplifying the two level shifted complementary output signals.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.