A compact low power mixed-signal equalizer for Gigabit Ethernet applications

In this paper we propose a novel structure of a discrete-time mixed-signal linear equalizer designed for analog front end of Gigabit Ethernet receivers. The circuit is an FIR filter which involves 6 taps based on a coefficient-rotating structure. Here, a simple structure is used for merging digital to analog conversion of the filter's coefficients and multipliers needed for 6 taps. This structure results in high speed and low power dissipation as well as less A/D converter complexity. Simulated in a 0.18 um CMOS technology, this equalizer operates at 125 MHz while dissipating 10 mw from a 1.8 V power supply.