CMOS front-end for duobinary data over 50-m SI-POF links

摘要

This paper presents a front-end for short-reach high-speed optical communications that compensates the limited bandwidth of 1-mm 50-m step-index plastic optical fiber (SI-POF). For that purpose, it combines two techniques: continuous-time equalization and duobinary modulation. An addition of both enables the receiver to operate at 3.125 Gbps. The prototype contains a transimpedance amplifier, a continuous-time equalizer and a duobinary decoder. The prototype has been implemented in a cost-effective 0.18-μm CMOS process and is fed with 1.8 V.