A kind of testing circuit, method and amplifier of dropout
Technical field
The present invention relates to microelectronic circuit technical field, relate in particular to a kind of testing circuit, method and amplifier of dropout.
Background technology
In high-speed figure communication system, signal is sent to receiver from transmitter through communication channel, and a very important step will rule out rapidly dropout (LOS) exactly reliably.So there is LOS to determine whether in level or the data flow that often will carry out detection signal by circuit at receiver or receiver side, if existed, produces LOS alarm signal.LOS alarm signal is passed to system processor or network controller by supervisory programme processing, thereby monitors whole communication system.
In high-speed light communication network, light signal in optical fiber becomes current signal by photodiode converts, trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) converts the current signal of photodiode to voltage signal, but, the exemplary voltages output of most of TIA is quite little, even be less than 100mv, so just need limiting amplifier to amplify and shaping voltage signal, form the voltage signal that data recoverer (CDR) can be sampled and resolve.
At present, in multiple limiting amplifier (LA), all can realize the function of LOS detection and alarm, but in application, all need to arrange the threshold value that detects LOS, these threshold values are little of 5mv, large to 200mv, typically as shown in table 1 in the scope of the threshold value adjusting on OC192 (10Gbps), when decision threshold represents to be less than this threshold value in table 1, produce LOS alarm, when representing to be greater than this threshold value, elimination threshold value eliminates LOS alarm.
Table 1
The structure of tradition limiting amplifier as shown in Figure 1, need special LOS testing circuit, and due to the small-signal feature of LOS, if the elementary sampling of the cascade amplifier in limiting amplifier, the amplitude of signal may be inadequate, therefore, be only applicable to the input signal of low speed, and, as shown in Figure 2, the complex structure of existing LOS testing circuit.
For reducing the complexity of limiting amplifier, some designer changes into and after limiting amplifier is handled signal, differentiates LOS again, as shown in Figure 3, this mode is the multistage post-sampling at cascade amplifier, because signal is exaggerated, easily appearance cannot be distinguished the problem of LOS signal and signal fluctuation, causes erroneous judgement and loses time.
Summary of the invention
The technical problem to be solved in the present invention is to provide a kind of testing circuit, method and amplifier of dropout, realizes the signal loss detection to small-signal.
For solving the problems of the technologies described above, the testing circuit of a kind of dropout of the present invention, comprising: peak detector, reference threshold generator and comparator, wherein:
Peak detector, for detection of the peak value of input signal, outputs to comparator by the peak value of input signal;
Reference threshold generator, for generation of decision threshold, outputs to comparator by decision threshold;
Comparator, for the peak value of input signal and decision threshold are compared, when peak value is less than decision threshold, produces loss of signal alarm.
Further, reference threshold generator, also, for generation of eliminating threshold value, outputs to comparator by elimination threshold value;
Comparator, also, for the peak value of input signal is compared with eliminating threshold value, when peak value is greater than elimination threshold value, erasure signal is lost alarm.
Further, also comprise configurable peak value access device, wherein:
Configurable peak value access device, for extracting alternating current component from input signal, outputs to peak detector by this alternating current component;
Peak detector is the peak value that detects the alternating current component of input signal, and the peak value of the alternating current component of input signal is outputed to comparator.
Further, peak detector is the peak detector of subthreshold value, comprise: constant current source, operational amplifier, the first subthreshold value controller and the second subthreshold value controller, the first subthreshold value controller is connected with the output of constant current source and the positive pole of operational amplifier respectively, and the second subthreshold value controller is connected with the output of constant current source and the negative pole of operational amplifier respectively.
Further, peak detector also comprises: charge controller and energy-storage travelling wave tube, and charge controller is connected with energy-storage travelling wave tube with the output of operational amplifier respectively, and energy-storage travelling wave tube is also connected with the output of determining circuit source.
Further, the first subthreshold value controller and the second subthreshold value controller are field effect transistor, and the grid of the first subthreshold value controller is connected with drain electrode, as the output of peak detector; The grid of the second subthreshold value controller is as the input of peak detector.
Further, the source electrode of the first subthreshold value controller is connected with the output of constant current source and the positive pole of operational amplifier respectively with drain electrode, and the source electrode of the second subthreshold value controller is connected with the output of constant current source and the negative pole of operational amplifier respectively with drain electrode.
Further, comparator is hysteresis comparator, and this hysteresis comparator comprises latch and inductor peaking device, and inductor peaking device is connected between the positive input terminal and negative input end of latch.
Further, configurable peak value access device adopts source follower.
Further, a kind of amplifier, comprise: the testing circuit of input buffer, cascade amplifier and dropout, the output of input buffer is connected with the testing circuit of cascade amplifier and dropout, the testing circuit of dropout comprises peak detector, reference threshold generator and comparator, wherein:
Peak detector, for detection of the peak value of input signal, outputs to comparator by the peak value of input signal;
Reference threshold generator, for generation of decision threshold, outputs to comparator by decision threshold;
Comparator, for the peak value of input signal and decision threshold are compared, when peak value is less than decision threshold, produces loss of signal alarm.
Further, reference threshold generator, also, for generation of eliminating threshold value, outputs to comparator by elimination threshold value;
Comparator, also, for the peak value of input signal is compared with eliminating threshold value, when peak value is greater than elimination threshold value, erasure signal is lost alarm.
Further, a kind of amplifier, comprise: the testing circuit of input buffer, cascade amplifier and dropout, the output of input buffer is connected with cascade amplifier, the testing circuit of dropout is connected to any one-level of cascade amplifier, the testing circuit of dropout comprises configurable peak value access device, peak detector, reference threshold generator and comparator, wherein:
Configurable peak value access device, for extracting alternating current component from input signal, outputs to peak detector by this alternating current component;
Peak detector, for detection of the peak value of the alternating current component of input signal, outputs to comparator by the peak value of the alternating current component of input signal;
Reference threshold generator, for generation of decision threshold, outputs to comparator by decision threshold;
Comparator, for the peak value of input signal and decision threshold are compared, when peak value is less than decision threshold, produces loss of signal alarm.
Further, a kind of detection method of dropout, comprising:
Peak detector detects the peak value of input signal, and the peak value of input signal is outputed to comparator;
Reference threshold generator produces decision threshold, and decision threshold is outputed to comparator;
Comparator compares the peak value of input signal and decision threshold, when peak value is less than decision threshold, produces loss of signal alarm.
Further, also comprise:
Reference threshold generator also produces elimination threshold value, and elimination threshold value is outputed to comparator;
Comparator also compares the peak value of input signal with eliminating threshold value, when peak value is greater than elimination threshold value, erasure signal is lost alarm.
Further, peak detector is also connected with configurable peak value access device, and configurable peak value access device extracts alternating current component from input signal, and this alternating current component is outputed to peak detector;
Peak detector is the peak value that detects the alternating current component of input signal, and the peak value of the alternating current component of input signal is outputed to comparator.
In sum, the present invention realizes LOS by a peak detector and comparator and detects, and reducing design complexity greatly, has reduced line size and network complexity, and power consumption is very low simultaneously.
Accompanying drawing explanation
Fig. 1 is the structure chart of existing amplifier;
Fig. 2 is the circuit block diagram of existing a kind of LOS testing circuit;
Fig. 3 is the circuit block diagram of existing another kind of LOS testing circuit;
Fig. 4 is the structure chart of the amplifier of embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is the circuit block diagram of the LOS testing circuit of embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is the theory diagram of the peak detector of the subthreshold value of embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is the circuit structure of the peak detector of the subthreshold value of embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 8 is the theory diagram of the hysteresis comparator of embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 9 is the circuit structure diagram of the hysteresis comparator of embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10 is the circuit diagram of the configurable peak value access device of embodiment of the present invention.
Embodiment
The limiting amplifier of present embodiment comprises: input buffer, cascade amplifier, output buffer, DC maladjustment compensator and LOS detector.LOS detector comprises: configurable peak value access device, peak detector, reference threshold generator and hysteresis comparator.The peak detector of present embodiment utilization subthreshold value at a high speed produces the maximum of signal, carries out sluggishness relatively with reference threshold, and the LOS that realizes high speed signal detects.
Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, present embodiment is elaborated.
As shown in Figure 4, the limiting amplifier of present embodiment comprises: input buffer T1, cascade amplifier T2, output buffer T3, DC maladjustment compensator T4 and LOS detector T5.The input of T1 is connected with prime device trans-impedance amplifier by coupling capacitance, and the output of T1 is connected with the input of T2.T2 is comprised of multistage high speed amplifier, comprising: high speed amplifier 1, high speed amplifier 2, high speed amplifier N-1 and high speed amplifier N.The output of T2 is connected to the input of T3, and the output of T3 is the output of whole amplifier.The output of T2 also needs the input that is connected to T2 by T4 to eliminate DC maladjustment.LOS detector T5 is connected to the output of input buffer T1.
As shown in Figure 5, LOS detector comprises: configurable peak value access device I1, peak detector I2, reference threshold generator I3 and hysteresis comparator I4, realize the LOS measuring ability of high speed signal, and power consumption is very low simultaneously.
LOS detector is by the first order of configurable peak value access device access limiting amplifier, direct-detection small-signal.Configurable peak value access device is connected with the output of input buffer T1, and input buffer T1 is to configurable peak value access device output difference sub-signal V
inpand V
inn, configurable peak value access device extracts the alternating current component V of differential signal
in_s, by V
in_soutput to peak detector.
Peak detector detects and obtains V
in_speak value V
peak, the input signal size of this peak value reaction limiting amplifier, by V
peakoutput to hysteresis comparator.
Reference threshold generator produces decision threshold and eliminates threshold value, and the decision threshold of generation and elimination threshold value are outputed to hysteresis comparator.Can be according to LOS construction quality, configuration reference threshold generator produces any a pair of decision threshold and elimination threshold value in table 1.
Hysteresis comparator is by V
peakcompare with decision threshold, at V
peakwhile being less than decision threshold, produce LOS alarm; At V
peakbe greater than while eliminating threshold value, eliminate LOS alarm.
Figure 6 shows that the theory diagram of the peak detector of subthreshold value, comprise constant current source B01, it determines electric current is Iso; Operational amplifier B02, the first subthreshold value controller B03, its drain-source current is Ids3, and its grid is connected with drain electrode; Subthreshold value controller B04, its drain-source current is Ids4, its grid connects input signal Vin; Amplifier B02 connects the drain electrode of B03 and B04; One end of charge controller B05 is connected with the output of amplifier B02, and the other end is connected with energy-storage travelling wave tube B06, and energy-storage travelling wave tube B06 is also connected to the tie point of constant current source B01 and subthreshold value controller.Due to the effect of amplifier B02, the gate source voltage of subthreshold value controller B03 and B04 equates, i.e. Vds3=Vds4, if guarantee Ids3+Ids4=Iso, the drain voltage of subthreshold value controller B04 just can maintain the peak value of input Vin signal.If Vin increases or reduces, the output of amplifier just feeds back to B05, controls the charging increase and decrease to energy-storage travelling wave tube B06, reaches the object of the peak value that keeps Vin.
Figure 7 shows that the circuit structure of the peak detector of present embodiment subthreshold value, the grid of NM3 is connected with the output of configurable peak detector, the source electrode of NM3 is connected with the source electrode of NM4, be connected to together the drain electrode of NM1, the drain electrode of NM3 and NM4 is connected respectively on the anodal P and negative pole N of amplifier OPAMP1, and grid and the drain electrode of NM4 is simultaneously connected to form output signal Vpeak.The output stage of amplifier is connected with the grid of PM1, and the drain electrode of PM1 is connected with one end of resistance R 1, and the other end of R1 is connected with the drain electrode of NM3, and the source electrode of PM1 meets VDD.The grid of NM1 is connected with the grid of NM2, and the source electrode of NM1 and NM2 is all connected to GND, and NM1 and NM2 form current mirror image tube like this.The drain electrode of NM2 is connected with the source electrode of NM5, and the grid of NM5 is connected with the grid of NM4, and the drain electrode of NM4 is connected with the drain electrode of PM2, and the grid of PM3 is connected with drain electrode, and is connected with the grid of PM2, and the source electrode of PM3 and PM2 is all connected to VDD.
NM3 plays a part Nonlinear Integer fluid element, if Is/C is enough little, i.e. and if there is no V
gS1, the source electrode of NM3 can be followed the variation of Vin_s; So introduce NM4, compensate actual V
gS1pressure drop, Vpeak can trace into the peak value of Vin_s like this.In order to eliminate the channel modulation effect of NM1 and NM2, between the drain electrode of NM3 and the grid leak utmost point of NM4, increased an one-level amplifier.
Due to NM3 and the shared same tail current of NM4, the size of setting this tail current can make NM3 and NM4 be operated in subthreshold value region, and due to the effect of amplifier, the Vds of NM3 and NM4 is equal and NM3
with NM4's
by the ratio of expecting design in 1: 1.
If input signal increased before amplitude peak, the polar plate voltage on C2 electric capacity will increase, and because the tail current of NM3 and NM4 is certain, although the corresponding minimizing of the electric current of NM4 pipe, the Vds of NM4 and the effect of OPAMP1, increase Vpeak; To input signal, reach after maximum, if input signal reduces, the polar plate voltage in capacitor C 2 can reduce, but in the short time, the electric current of NM4 can strengthen, and Vpeak remains unchanged.If the amplitude of input signal is the signal in cycle in certain limit, Vpeak can become the peak tracker of Vin input signal.In particular cases, when inputting the amplitude A of periodic signal and the breadth length ratio of NM3 and NM4, meet
(n is slope factor, is approximately 1.5, U
t=KT/q) time, the amplitude peak A of input signal just part is retained, and becomes peak detector.
Figure 8 shows that the theory diagram of the hysteresis comparator of present embodiment, to apply inductor peaking device on the basis of common CML (CML) latch (LATCH), inductor peaking device is connected between the positive input terminal and negative input end of latch, carries out the high speed support comparator that bandwidth expansion obtains.
Figure 9 shows that the circuit structure of the hysteresis comparator of present embodiment, IN+ accesses respectively the grid of M3 and M4, and the source electrode of M3 and M4 is connected, and links the drain electrode of M2, and the grid of M2 and M1 is connected and is connected to V
rEF, source electrode all connects GND, and the source electrode of M5 and M6 is connected and is connected to the drain electrode of M1, and the drain electrode of M3 and M5 is connected and is connected to one end of resistance R 1, and one end of R1 and L1 is connected, and the other end of L1 is connected with VDD; The drain electrode of M4 and M6 is connected and is connected to one end of resistance R 2, R2 and L2 series connection, and L2 is connected with VDD.Hysteresis comparator is the output Vpeak of peak detector and the output Vthres of reference threshold generator relatively, and output obtains the output signal ALOSB signal of I4, completes the LOS measuring ability of limiting amplifier.
The realization of sluggish scope realizes by M5 and M6 pipe, and sluggish size is by the biasing V of M1 pipe
rEFcontrol, by hysteresis comparator, realize and eliminate the not overlapping of threshold value and decision threshold.
The generation of Vthres threshold circuit can realize by reference to threshold module, and digital controlled signal is carried out to difference configuration, just can complete the generation of different reference threshold level, completes the function of similar table 1.
Figure 10 shows that configurable peak value access device, for being directly connected on input stage, is AC signal due to what obtain, can be directly connected on the output of input buffering T1; Also can, by the both-end of Vinp and Vinn being turned to the parts of single-ended Vin_s, Vinp be received to the grid of PMOS pipe PM1, the source electrode of PM1 is connected to VDD, the drain electrode of PM1 is connected with the drain electrode of NM1, form output point Vin_S, the source electrode of NM1 is connected to ground, and the grid of NM1 is connected to VREF.Form like this structure of source follower.
Figure 10 takes out the alternating component of Vinp by source follower, its flip-flop depends on NM1 and V
rEF, the smooth connection of realization and peak detector.
With reference to figure 4, when LOS detector T5 need to access in the somewhere of high speed amplifier 1, high speed amplifier 2, high speed amplifier N-1 or high speed amplifier N, can be by connecting configurable peak value access device detection signal, if LOS detector T5 accessed before input buffering T1, without configurable peak value access device, because TIA is connected by coupling capacitance with limiting amplifier, the input of limiting amplifier is exactly AC signal.
With reference to figure 7, due to the little electric current of NM1 and NM2, and the subthreshold value work characteristics of NM3 and NM4, the power consumption of the LOS detector of present embodiment is very low.It doesn't matter in the operating rate of NM3 and NM4 and mutual conductance simultaneously, and therefore circuit can be worked under very high speed.
Present embodiment also provides a kind of detection method of dropout, comprising: peak detector detects the peak value of input signal, and the peak value of input signal is outputed to comparator; Reference threshold generator produces decision threshold, and decision threshold is outputed to comparator; Comparator compares the peak value of input signal and decision threshold, when peak value is less than decision threshold, produces loss of signal alarm.
Reference threshold generator also produces elimination threshold value, and elimination threshold value is outputed to comparator; Comparator also compares the peak value of input signal with eliminating threshold value, when peak value is greater than elimination threshold value, erasure signal is lost alarm.
Peak detector is also connected with configurable peak value access device, and configurable peak value access device extracts alternating current component from input signal, and this alternating current component is outputed to peak detector; Peak detector is the peak value that detects the alternating current component of input signal, and the peak value of the alternating current component of input signal is outputed to comparator.
Should be understood that; the above-mentioned description for the specific embodiment of the invention is comparatively detailed; but can not therefore be interpreted as the restriction to scope of patent protection of the present invention; the simple and easy reasoning of all processes and conversion are all the included scopes of the present invention, and scope of patent protection of the present invention should be as the criterion with claims.