A 38-Gb/s 2-tap transversal equalizer in 0.13-μm CMOS using a microstrip delay element

This paper describes a single-ended integrated transversal 2-tap feed-forward equalizer implemented using a commercial 0.13-μm CMOS process. Equalization of a 38-Gb/s data stream over SMA cables with 14.3 dB of channel loss is demonstrated on-wafer. The equalizer features a microstrip transmission line as the delay element and “line inductors” for improved impedance matching. The IC measures 1.5 mm × 0.26 mm, and consumes 30 mW of power from a 1.2 V supply.