A 3.3-V 21-Gb/s PRBS generator in AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology

We present a pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) generator that outputs a 2/sup 7/-1 bit pattern at rates up to 21 Gb/s. The circuit is implemented in a 40-GHz AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) standard production process, operates from a single 3.3-V power supply, and consumes 1.1 W of power. We discuss variations of PRBS architecture and digital circuit topologies which exploit unique characteristics of AlGaAs/GaAs HBT devices. The work demonstrates the feasibility of using AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology with low-voltage/low-power design techniques in complex high-speed circuits.