• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.201-208
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• 2012

In this paper, the hardware design of rate control for real-time video encoded is proposed. In the proposed method, a quadratic rate distortion model with high-computational complexity is not used when quantization parameter values are being decided. Instead, for low-computational complexity, average complexity weight values of frames are used to calculate QP. For high speed and low computational prediction, the MAD is predicted based on the coded basic unit, using spacial and temporal correlation in sequences. The rate control is designed with the hardware for fast QP decision. In the proposed method, a quadratic rate distortion model with high-computational complexity is not used when quantization parameter values are being decided. Instead, for low-computational complexity, average complexity weight values of frames are used to calculate QP. In addition, the rate control is designed with the hardware for fast QP decision. The execution cycle and gate count of the proposed architecture were reduced about 65% and 85% respectively compared with those of previous architecture. The proposed RC was implemented using Verilog HDL and synthesized with UMC $0.18{\mu}m$ standard cell library. The synthesis result shows that the gate count of the architecture is about 19.1k with 108MHz clock frequency.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.50-57
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• 2009

This paper proposes a VLSI architecture of CAVLC hardware decoder which is a tool eliminating statistical redundancy in H.264/AVC video compression. The previous CAVLC hardware decoder used four stages to decode five code symbols. The previous CAVLC hardware architectures decreased decoding performance because there was an unnecessary idle cycle in between state transitions. Likewise, the computation of valid bit length includes an unnecessary idle cycle. This paper proposes hardware architecture to eliminate the idle cycle efficiently. Two methods are applied to the architecture. One is a method which eliminates an unnecessary things of buffers storing decoded codes and then makes efficient pipeline architecture. The other one is a shifter control to simplify operations and controls in the process of calculating valid bit length. The experimental result shows that the proposed architecture needs only 89 cycle in average for one macroblock decoding. This architecture improves the performance by about 29% than previous designs. The synthesis result shows that the design achieves the maximum operating frequency at 140Mhz and the hardware cost is about 11.5K under a 0.18um CMOS process. Comparing with the previous design, it can achieve low-power operation because this design is implemented with high throughputs and low gate count.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.75-87
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• 2010

For two input-protection schemes suitable for RF ICs utilizing the thyristor and diode protection devices, which can be fabricated in standard CMOS processes, we attempt an in-depth comparison on HBM ESD robustness in terms of lattice heating inside protection devices and peak voltages developed across gate oxides in input buffers, based on DC, mixed-mode transient, and AC analyses utilizing a 2-dimensional device simulator. For this purpose, we construct an equivalent circuit for an input HBM test environment of a CMOS chip equipped with the input ESD protection circuits, which allows mixed-mode transient simulations for various HBM test modes. By executing mixed-mode simulations including up to six active protection devices in a circuit, we attempt a detailed analysis on the problems, which can occur in real tests. In the procedure, we suggest to a recipe to ease the bipolar trigger in the protection devices and figure out that oxide failure in internal circuits is determined by the junction breakdown voltage of the NMOS structure residing in the protection devices. We explain the characteristic differences of two protection schemes as an input ESD protection circuit for RF ICs, and suggest valuable guidelines relating design of the protection devices and circuits.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2012

In this paper, we suggest the dynamic-response-free SMPS using a new high-resolution DPWM generator based on switched-capacitor delay technique. In the proposed system, duty ratio of DPWM is controlled by voltage slope of an internal capacitor using switched-capacitor delay technique. In the proposed circuit, it is possible to track output voltage by controlling current of the internal capacitor of the DPWM generator through comparison between the feedback voltage and the reference voltage. Therefore the proposed circuit is not restricted by the dynamic-response characteristic which is a problem in the existing SMPS using the closed-loop control method. In addition, it has great advantage that ringing phenomenon due to overshoot/undershoot does not appear on output voltage. The proposed circuit can operate at switching frequencies of 1MHz~10MHz using internal operating frequency of 100 MHz. The maximum current of the core circuit is 2.7 mA and the total current of the entire circuit including output buffer is 15 mA at the switching frequency of 10 MHz. The proposed circuit has DPWM duty ratio resolution of 0.125 %. It can accommodate load current up to 1 A. The maximum ripple of output voltage is 8 mV. To verify operation of the proposed circuit, we carried out simulation with Dongbu Hitek BCD $0.35{\mu}m$ technology parameter.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.42 no.6 s.336
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

In this paper, CMOS A/D converter with 6bit 2GSPS Nyquist input at 1.8V is designed. In order to obtain the resolution of 6bit and the character of high-speed operation, we present an Interpolation type architecture. In order to overcome the problems of high speed operation, a novel One-zero Detecting Encoder, a circuit to reduce the Reference Fluctuation, an Averaging Resistor and a Track & Hold, a novel Buffered Reference for the improved SNR are proposed. The proposed ADC is based on 0.18um 1-poly 3-metal N-well CMOS technology, and it consumes 145mW at 1.8V power supply and occupies chip area of 977um $\times$ 1040um. Experimental result show that SNDR is 36.25 dB when sampling frequency is 2GHz and INL/DNL is $\pm$0.5LSB at static performance.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2009

In this paper, a 3.2Gb/s clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit for a high-speed serial data communication without the reference clock is described This CDR circuit consists of 5 parts as Phase and frequency detector(PD and FD), multi-phase Voltage Controlled-Oscillator(VCO), Charge-pumps (CP) and external Loop-Filter(KF). It is adapted the PD and FD, which incorporates a half-rate bang-bang type oversampling PD and a half-rate FD that can improve pull-in range. The VCO consists of four fully differential delay cells with rail-to-rail current bias scheme that can increase the tuning range and tuning linearity. Each delay cell has output buffers as a full-swing generator and a duty-cycle mismatch compensation. This materialized CDR can achieve wide pull-in range without an extra reference clock and it can be also reduced chip area and power consumption effectively because there is no additional Phase Locked- Loop(PLL) for generating reference clock. The CDR circuit was designed for fabrication using 0.18um 1P6M CMOS process and total chip area excepted LF is $1{\times}1mm^2$. The pk-pk jitter of recovered clock is 26ps at 3.2Gb/s input data rate and total power consumes 63mW from 1.8V supply voltage according to simulation results. According to test result, the pk-pk jitter of recovered clock is 55ps at the same input data-rate and the reliable range of input data-rate is about from 2.4Gb/s to 3.4Gb/s.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.68-73
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• 2013

In this paper, we proposed a readout circuit of pulse waveform and rate for a U-health system to monitor health condition. For long-time operation without replacing or charging a battery, either pulse waveform or pulse rate is selected as the output data of the proposed readout circuit according to health condition of a user. The proposed readout circuit consists of a simple digital logic discriminator and a dual-mode ADC which operates in the ADC mode or in the count mode. Firstly, the readout circuit counts pulse rate for 4 seconds in the count mode using the dual-mode ADC. Health condition is examined after the counted pulse rate is accumulated for 1 minute in the discriminator. If the pulse rate is out of the preset normal range, the dual-mode ADC operates in the ADC mode where pulse waveform is converted into 10-bit digital data with the sampling frequency of 1 kHz. These data are stored in a buffer and transmitted by 620 kbps to an external monitor through a RF transmitter. The data transmission period of the RF transmitter depends on the operation mode. It is generally 1 minute in the normal situation or 1 ms in the emergency situation. The proposed readout circuit was designed with $0.11{\mu}m$ process technology. The chip area is $460{\times}800{\mu}m^2$. According to measurement, the power consumption is $161.8{\mu}W$ in the count mode and $507.3{\mu}W$ in the ADC mode with the operating voltage of 1 V.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.48 no.12
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• pp.91-96
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• 2011

In this paper, a low-power direct-conversion transmitter based on current-mode operation, which satisfies the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, is proposed and implemented in a $0.13{\mu}m$ CMOS technology. The proposed transmitter consists of DACs, LPFs, variable gain I/Q up-conversion mixer, a divide-by-two circuit with LO buffer, and a drive amplifier. By combining DAC, LPF, and variable gain I/Q up-conversion mixer with a simple current mirror configuration, the transmitter's power consumption is reduced and its linearity is improved. The drive amplifier is a cascode amplifier with gain controls and the 2.4GHz I/Q differential LO signals are generated by a divide-by-two current-mode-logic (CML) circuit with an external 4.8GHz input signal. The implemented transmitter has 30dB of gain control range, 0dBm of maximum transmit output power, 33dBc of local oscillator leakage, and 40dBc of the transmit third harmonic component. The transmitter dissipates 10.2mW from a 1.2V supply and the die area of the transmitter is $1.76mm{\times}1.26mm$.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2008

In this paper, New LC VCO with $8{\sim}10.9$ GHz Band has been designed using commercial $0.35-{\mu}m$ CMOS technology. This proposed circuit is consisted of the parallel construction of the typical NMOS and PMOS cross-coupled pair which is based on the LC tank, MOS cross-coupled pair which has same tail current of complementary NMOS and PMOS, and output buffer. The designed LC VCO, which is according to proposed structure in this paper, takes a 29% improvement of the wide tuning range as 8 GHz to 10.9 GHz, and a 6.48mW of low power dissipation. Its core size is $270{\mu}m{\times}340{\mu}m$ and its phase noise is as -117dBc Hz and -137dBc Hz at 1-MHz and 10-MHz offset, respectively. FOM of the new proposed LC VCO gets -189dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset from a 10GHz center frequency. This design is very useful for the 10Gb/s clock generator and data recovery integrated circuit(IC) and SONET communication applications.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.75-85
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• 2009

This work proposes a 13b 100MS/s 0.13um CMOS ADC for 3G communication systems such as two-carrier W-CDMA applications simultaneously requiring high resolution, low power, and small size at high speed. The proposed ADC employs a four-step pipeline architecture to optimize power consumption and chip area at the target resolution and sampling rate. Area-efficient high-speed high-resolution gate-bootstrapping circuits are implemented at the sampling switches of the input SHA to maintain signal linearity over the Nyquist rate even at a 1.0V supply operation. The cascode compensation technique on a low-impedance path implemented in the two-stage amplifiers of the SHA and MDAC simultaneously achieves the required operation speed and phase margin with more reduced power consumption than the Miller compensation technique. Low-glitch dynamic latches in sub-ranging flash ADCs reduce kickback-noise referred to the differential input stage of the comparator by isolating the input stage from output nodes to improve system accuracy. The proposed low-noise current and voltage references based on triple negative T.C. circuits are employed on chip with optional off-chip reference voltages. The prototype ADC in a 0.13um 1P8M CMOS technology demonstrates the measured DNL and INL within 0.70LSB and 1.79LSB, respectively. The ADC shows a maximum SNDR of 64.5dB and a maximum SFDR of 78.0dB at 100MS/s, respectively. The ABC with an active die area of $1.22mm^2$ consumes 42.0mW at 100MS/s and a 1.2V supply, corresponding to a FOM of 0.31pJ/conv-step.