<p>This report is an outcome of a master degree project at Linköpings University in co-operation with Micronic Laser Systems AB. </p><p>The purpose with this master degree project was to investigate how to implement a receiver in a data transfer system. The system consists of several data channels, where every channel consists of three parts: driver, transmission lines and receiver. The driver send low amplitude differential signals via the transmission lines to the receiver that amplifies and converts it to a single-ended signal. The receiver has to be fast and be able to feed an output signal with high voltage swing. It is also needed for the receivers to have low power consumption since they are close to the load, which is sensitive to heat. </p><p>Different amplifier architectures were investigated to find a suitable circuit for the given prerequisites. In this report the advantages and disadvantages of voltage and current feedback are discussed. </p><p>The conclusions of this work are that in a system with an amplifier as a receiver with differential transmission lines, a single operational amplifier cannot be used. An input stage is needed to isolate the feedback net from the inputs of the operational amplifier. When fast rise time and large output swing are wanted the best amplifier architecture is current feedback amplifiers. A current feedback amplifier in CMOS with the required high voltages and slew rate is hard to realize without very high power consumption.</p>

This report is an outcome of a master degree project at Linköpings University in co-operation with Micronic Laser Systems AB. The purpose with this master degree project was to investigate how to implement a receiver in a data transfer system. The system consists of several data channels, where every channel consists of three parts: driver, transmission lines and receiver. The driver send low amplitude differential signals via the transmission lines to the receiver that amplifies and converts it to a single-ended signal. The receiver has to be fast and be able to feed an output signal with high voltage swing. It is also needed for the receivers to have low power consumption since they are close to the load, which is sensitive to heat. Different amplifier architectures were investigated to find a suitable circuit for the given prerequisites. In this report the advantages and disadvantages of voltage and current feedback are discussed. The conclusions of this work are that in a system with an amplifier as a receiver with differential transmission lines, a single operational amplifier cannot be used. An input stage is needed to isolate the feedback net from the inputs of the operational amplifier. When fast rise time and large output swing are wanted the best amplifier architecture is current feedback amplifiers. A current feedback amplifier in CMOS with the required high voltages and slew rate is hard to realize without very high power consumption.

Οι συνεχώς αυξανόμενες ανάγκες της σημερινής αγοράς για φορητές ηλεκτρονικές συσκευές και τηλεπικοινωνιακά συστήματα χαμηλής τάσης τροφοδοσίας και χαμηλής κατανάλωσης ισχύος, καθιστά απαραίτητη τη σχεδίαση ενεργών βαθμίδων οι οποίες θα είναι ικανές να λειτουργήσουν σε ένα περιβάλλον όπου μία απλή τάση τροφοδοσίας μικρότερη ή ίση με 1.5V είναι διαθέσιμη. Έτσι, στην εργασία αυτή θα γίνει μια μελέτη διαφορετικών ενεργών βαθμίδων που δύνανται να λειτουργήσουν στο περιβάλλον αυτό, συγκρίνοντας τις δυνατότητες τους. Η μελέτη αυτή αφορά στις ενεργές βαθμίδες CCII και CFOA, καθώς και σε παραλλαγές τους που αφορούν στη λειτουργία των βαθμίδων αυτών με διαφορική τάση εισόδου (DVCCII και DVCFOA).Απώτερος σκοπός της σύγκρισης των βαθμίδων αυτών, αποτελεί η εφαρμογή τους στη σχεδίαση και υλοποίηση μιγαδικών φίλτρων. Έτσι, έπειτα από μία πλήρη περιγραφή των μιγαδικών φίλτρων ώστε να κατανοηθεί η λειτουργία τους, αλλά και των προβλημάτων που εισάγουν την ανάγκη χρήσης τέτοιων φίλτρων, θα μελετηθεί η χρησιμότητα καθεμιάς από τις παραπάνω ενεργές βαθμίδες στη σχεδίαση μιγαδικών φίλτρων ανώτερης τάξης, τα οποία πληρούν τις προδιαγραφές της εκάστοτε τεχνολογίας. Συγκεκριμένα θα γίνει η σχεδίαση και υλοποίηση ενός μιγαδικού φίλτρου 12ης τάξης ικανού να λειτουργεί (κατ’ επιλογή) τόσο για ένα κανάλι μετάδοσης μέσω του πρωτοκόλλου Bluetooth, όσο και για ένα κανάλι μετάδοσης μέσω του πρωτοκόλλου ZigBee.Τελικό βήμα της εργασίας, αποτελεί η φυσική σχεδίαση του κυκλώματος που θα προκύψει, ώστε να επαληθευτεί η ορθή λειτουργία του σε ένα περισσότερο ρεαλιστικό περιβάλλον. / The ever-increasing needs of today's market for portable electronic devices and telecommunication systems of low voltage and low power consumption, necessitates the design of active building blocks that are likely to operate in an environment where a single supply voltage less than or equal to 1.5V is available. Thus, this work will be a study of different active building blocks that may operate in this environment, comparing their abilities. The study refers to active building blocks CCII and CFOA, as well as variations related to their operation involving differential input voltage (DVCCII and DVCFOA). The ultimate goal of comparing these blocks is their application in the design and implementation of complex filters. Thus, after a full description of complex filters to understand their functioning and the problems that introduce the need to use such filters, the usefulness of each of these blocks will be studied in the design of higher-order complex filters, which meet the specifications of each technology. In particular a 12th order complex filter able to function (optional) for both a transmission channel over Bluetooth Protocol, and a transmission channel over ZigBee Protocol, will be designed and implemented. Final step of the work is the physical layout of the circuit, so as to verify the proper functioning in a more realistic environment.

This dissertation thesis deals with design of new functional blocks usable in area of analogue signal processing, focusing on sensor signal processing. Versatility of these circuits will find applications in programmable analogue array structures that will be possible to control and configure via a digital signal. Hereby build-up array would be fully a reconfigurable digital control system for sensor signal processing and usable for a wide range of different sensors. It offers possibility to build-up a control code for each specific sensor system, with which it would be possible to achieve optimal results of the entire system and consequently place the system on a chip. The presented programmable array is designed from configurable analogue blocks. The current feedback circuits, which in a suitable configuration can operate in voltage or current mode, are used here. This allows to achieve very good results in the systems with very low power supply, which is closely associated with mobility and autonomous behavioral (that are very important and observed parameters today) of the entire sensor-based framework. The work deals in detail with particular blocks, which are described theoretically and evaluated for using in the programmable analogue array. Design of the structure of programmable analogue array as well the use of these circuits in the part of whole system (that will be realized on a chip) are presented at the end of this thesis.