A 50-Mbit/s CMOS monolithic optical receiver

A general-purpose CMOS optical receiver that operates at data rates from 1 to 50 Mb/s has been fabricated in a 1.75- mu m CMOS process. The technology choice resulted in a high level of integration compared with similar bipolar technology receivers. The measured minimum signal current for a 10/sup -9/ bit error rate at 50 Mb/s is 48-nA r.m.s. Automatic gain control gives the receiver an electrical input dynamic range of greater than 60 dB. The outputs are TTL (transistor-transistor logic)-compatible and the chip dissipates less than 500 mW when switching at maximum speed. The die area is 16 mm/sup 2/. A comprehensive noise analysis of the receiver front end provides insight into the design tradeoffs of optical receiver preamplifiers. A wideband precision amplifier used in the linear channel is discussed in detail. A simple method for recovering low-frequency signal information lost in AC coupling is described.<
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