Voltage mode push-pull driver output stage with tunable resistances
View Patent ↗There is provided a voltage mode push-pull driver output stage with low power consumption and improved output return loss (ORL) suitable for various high bandwidth data transmission applications. By structuring the output stage to have tunable resistances adjustable by voltages applied to transistors, the output stage is readily adaptable to different applications requiring different resistances or impedance matching.
1. A method of operating a driver for use by a voltage mode push-pull output stage having a voltage regulator, the method comprising:
adjusting a first tunable resistance having a first resistor coupled to an output;
adjusting a second tunable resistance having a second resistor coupled to the output;
receiving an input signal, the input signal being coupled to a gate of a first transistor and a gate of a second transistor at a single node, wherein the voltage regulator is coupled to a source of the first transistor, and wherein a second end of the second tunable resistance is coupled to a drain of the second transistor, and a second end of the first tunable resistance is coupled to a drain of the first transistor; and
conducting a current through the second tunable resistance when the input signal is at logic high or through the first tunable resistance when the input signal is at logic low.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is a P channel field effect transistor (PFET), and wherein the second transistor is an N channel field effect transistor (NFET).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the first tunable resistance is by adjusting a first tuning voltage.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the adjusting of the first tuning voltage is controlled by an external resistance.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the second tunable resistance is by adjusting a second tuning voltage.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the adjusting of the second tuning voltage is controlled by an external resistance.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator provides a DC voltage of approximately 1.6 volts.
8. A voltage mode push-pull output stage for a driver, the output stage comprising:
a voltage regulator;
a first, a second, and a third node, wherein the third node is coupled to an output pad;
a first, a second, a third, and a fourth resistor;
a first, a second, a third, and a fourth transistor, wherein a source of the first transistor is coupled to the voltage regulator, a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the first node, a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an input signal, a source of the third transistor is coupled to a ground, a drain of the third transistor is coupled to the second node, and a gate of the third transistor is coupled to the input signal;
a first tunable resistance between the first node and the third node, the first tunable resistance comprising the third resistor coupled in series with the second transistor and the fourth resistor coupled in parallel to the third resistor and the second transistor, the first tunable resistance adjusted by a first tuning voltage applied to a gate of the second transistor; and
a second tunable resistance between the second node and the third node, the second tunable resistance comprising the first resistor coupled in series with the fourth transistor and the second resistor coupled in parallel to the first resistor and the fourth transistor, the second tunable resistance adjusted by a second tuning voltage applied to a gate of the fourth transistor.
9. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the first transistor and the second transistor each comprise a P channel field effect transistor (PFET), and wherein the third transistor and the fourth transistor each comprise an N channel field effect transistor (NFET).
10. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the second tuning voltage is adjusted such that an output impedance of approximately 75 ohms is provided between the output pad and the ground.
11. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the second tuning voltage is controlled by an external resistance and a replica circuit of the output stage, wherein a loop sets the second tuning voltage so that an equivalent replica impedance of the replica circuit is proportional to the external resistance.
12. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the first tuning voltage is adjusted such that an output impedance of approximately 75 ohms is provided between the output pad and the voltage regulator.
13. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the first tuning voltage is controlled by an external resistance and a replica circuit of the output stage, wherein a loop sets the first tuning voltage so that an equivalent replica impedance of the replica circuit is proportional to the external resistance.
14. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the output pad is AC coupled to a load by a capacitor, and wherein the output stage is configured to provide a peak-to-peak voltage swing of approximately 800 millivolts (mV)±10 percent where logic low at the output pad is approximately 0.4 volts and logic high at the output pad is approximately 1.2 volts.
15. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the voltage regulator provides a DC voltage of approximately 1.6 volts.
16. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the input signal comprises a DC voltage switching at high frequency between 0.0 volts and a regulated voltage at a data rate between 100 megabits per second (Mb/s) and 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s).
17. The output stage of claim 8 , wherein the driver is a video cable driver.
18. A method of operating a driver for use by a voltage mode push-pull output stage having a voltage regulator, a first, a second, and a third node, a first, a second, a third, and a fourth resistor, and a first, a second, a third, and a fourth transistor, wherein the third node is coupled to an output pad, a source of the first transistor is coupled to the voltage regulator, a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the first node, a source of the third transistor is coupled to a ground, and a drain of the third transistor is coupled to the second node, the method comprising:
adjusting a first tunable resistance between the first node and the third node by adjusting a first tuning voltage applied to a gate of the second transistor, the first tunable resistance comprising the third resistor coupled in series with the second transistor and the fourth resistor coupled in parallel to the third resistor and the second transistor;
adjusting a second tunable resistance between the second node and the third node by adjusting a second tuning voltage applied to a gate of the fourth transistor, the second tunable resistance comprising the first resistor coupled in series with the fourth transistor and the second resistor coupled in parallel to the first resistor and the fourth transistor;
receiving an input signal coupled to a gate of the first transistor and a gate of the third transistor; and
conducting a current through the second tunable resistance when the input signal is at logic high or through the first tunable resistance when the input signal is at logic low.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first transistor and the second transistor each comprise a P channel field effect transistor (PFET), and wherein the third transistor and the fourth transistor each comprise an N channel field effect transistor (NFET).
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the adjusting of the second tuning voltage is controlled by an external resistance and a replica circuit of the output stage, wherein a loop sets the second tuning voltage so that an equivalent replica impedance of the replica circuit is proportional to the external resistance.