Data-dependent time-domain pre-emphasis techniques for high-speed data transmission

In this paper, we present a Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) pre-emphasis technique which utilizes time-domain information processing to increase the data rate for a given interconnection bandwidth inside/between VLSI chips. The PWM pre-emphasis method does not change the pulse amplitude as for conventional FIR pre-emphasis, but instead exploits timing resolution. This fits well with recent CMOS technology trends toward higher switching speeds and lower supply voltage. A new data-dependent adaptive time-domain pre-emphasis technique is proposed to compensate for the data-dependent jitter.