Low-power CMOS and BiCMOS circuits for analog convolutional decoders

Analog techniques have been proposed as a method of realizing high-speed low-power Viterbi decoders, mostly for use in digital magnetic recording applications. However, such methods can also be used in more general applications of the Viterbi algorithm, such as convolutional decoding. We describe two current-mode analog circuits for use in such applications. These circuits operate in excess of 100 MHz, and consume less than 4 mW per state, with 2.8-V supply rails when realized in 0.8-/spl mu/m technology.