IP Library Granted Patent US 11,031,936
Granted Patent B1
US 11,031,936 · App. 16/852,533 · Granted Jun 8, 2021

Hybrid transmitter

Inventors: Ren-Hong Luo (Hsinchu, TW); Kun-Jui Shen (Taipei, TW); Ying-Cheng Lin (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: NOVATEK Microelectronics Corp.
H03K19/018514
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,031,936
App. No.
16/852,533
Granted
Jun 8, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A hybrid transmitter includes a current-mode driver, a voltage-mode driver and an auxiliary driver. The current-mode driver is configured to perform a current transmission. The voltage-mode driver is configured to perform a voltage transmission. The auxiliary driver, coupled to the current-mode driver and the voltage-mode driver, is configured to cooperate with the current-mode driver to enhance a driving capability of the current transmission and cooperate with the voltage-mode driver to enhance a driving capability of the voltage transmission.

Claims (20)

1. A hybrid transmitter, comprising:

a current-mode driver, configured to perform a current transmission;

a voltage-mode driver, configured to perform a voltage transmission;

an auxiliary driver, coupled to the current-mode driver and the voltage-mode driver, configured to cooperate with the current-mode driver to enhance a driving capability of the current transmission, and cooperate with the voltage-mode driver to enhance a driving capability of the voltage transmission; and

a common-mode sense circuit, coupled to the voltage-mode driver and the auxiliary driver, configured to:

detect a common-mode voltage of the voltage-mode driver; and

determine a common-mode voltage for the auxiliary driver according to the common-mode voltage of the voltage-mode driver,

wherein the common-mode sense circuit comprises:

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC);

a counter, coupled to the DAC; and

a comparator, comprising:

a first input terminal, coupled to the DAC;

a second input terminal, coupled to the voltage-mode driver; and

an output terminal, coupled to the counter.

2. The hybrid transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the current-mode driver comprises a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) transmitter.

3. The hybrid transmitter of claim 2 , wherein the current-mode driver is configured to operate as a current-mode logic (CML) driver.

4. The hybrid transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the voltage-mode driver comprises a pre-emphasis voltage-mode (PEVM) transmitter.

5. The hybrid transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the common-mode sense circuit is configured to output a bias signal to the auxiliary driver to determine the common-mode voltage for the auxiliary driver.

6. The hybrid transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the common-mode sense circuit is further configured to determine the common-mode voltage for the auxiliary driver and a common-mode voltage for the current-mode driver according to a reference voltage.

7. The hybrid transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary driver is configured to provide pre-emphasis for the current transmission when cooperating with the current-mode driver and provide pre-emphasis for the voltage transmission when cooperating with the voltage-mode driver.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2020
From: LUO, REN-HONG; SHEN, KUN-JUI; LIN, YING-CHENG
To: NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 052436/0219 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,425,275 US 12,700,881