A 21 Gb/s Arbitrary Binary Sequence Generator for PMCW Radar based on a TSPC Serializer in 22 nm FDSOI

This work presents an arbitrarily programmable pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) generator for phase-modulated continuous-wave (PMCW) radar transmitters. It incorporates a mixed-signal architecture with a digitally implemented shift register connected to a novel serializer architecture based on true single-phase-clock (TSPC) flip-flops. Unlike static, non-configurable linear-feedback shift registers (LFSRs), this circuit can generate more complex sequences, like the almost perfect auto-correlation sequence (APAS), that exhibit a better radar performance. The circuit is realized on a 22nm fully-depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) technology and consumes a total chip area of 600×530μm
²
. On-wafer measurements show a maximum chip rate of 21Gb/s at a 16.9mW power consumption. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed circuit marks the first programmable PRBS generator operating at this high chip rate. It paves the way for on-chip generation of complex broadband sequences for millimeter-wave digital MIMO radar systems for consumer or automotive applications.