CertusPro-NX SerDes/PCS Usage Guide
Preliminary
Technical Note
FPGA-TN-02245-0.81
© 2020-2021 Lattice Semiconductor
89
All rights reserved. CONFIDENTIAL
SerDes Equalization
The interconnection between the transmitter and receiver device acts as a filter at typical baud rates, and distorts the
serial data signal to varying extents.
shows the signal distortion for the typical backplane applications. The
signal out from the transmitter side is a clean digital signal, but the signal waveform is significantly distorted at the
receiver side. The frequency response function for this interconnection is a low-pass filter, considering the insertion
loss increases with the increase of the frequency of signal. Signal distortion occurs because the signal baud rate is
above the cut-off frequency for this low-pass filter.
As data rates get higher, the Unit Interval (UI, or bit time) becomes smaller, with the result that it is increasingly to
avoid having the value in one bit time affect the value in another bit time. When a signal has been held at the same
voltage for several bit times, and when sending several bits in a row of the same polarity, the channel has more time to
approach the target voltage. The resulting higher voltage makes it difficult to change to the opposite value within the
required time when the polarity does change. AC coupling sometimes exacerbates this phenomenon, considering the
charging effect of capacitance. What is more, the interconnection low-pass filter makes it become more difficult for the
receiver to recognize the real value of the signal, because the high frequency component of the repeating value signal
is less than the continuous flip signal. This problem of previous bits affecting subsequent bits is referred to as Inter-
Symbol Interference (ISI).
PCB, Connectors, Cables
Transmitter
Receiver
Signal at
Transmitter side
Signal at
Receiver side
Figure 8.1. Signal Distortion for Typical Backplane Application
To solve these Signal Integrity (SI) problems, data signal should be equalized at the transmitter side. The equalization at
the receiver side is also necessary sometimes even though equalization at the transmitter side is always required for
high-speed digital signals. De-emphasis and pre-emphasis are common equalization technologies used by most high-
speed serial applications. De-emphasis reduces the voltage for repeated bits in a data bitstream. Pre-emphasis is
similar to de-emphasis, which intentionally overdrives at the first bit for repeated bits in a data bitstream. Both de-
emphasis and pre-emphasis can be implemented by 2-tap Finite Impulse Response (FIR). In some documents, this FIR is
named as Feed Forward Equalizer (FFE). For data rate higher than 6 Gbps, the 3-tap FIR based equalizer is usually used
by a transmitter. The Continuous-Time Linear Equalization (CTLE) and Decision Feedback Equalization (DFE) are
common implementations in receiver equalizer designs.
shows the typical backplane application with Tx equalizer. Tx equalizer distorts the signal with de-emphasis
technology, such that the resulting signal at the receiver input is a clean waveform and is easier to be recognized.
PCB, Connectors, Cables
Transmitter with
Tx Equalizer
Receiver
Signal at
Transmitter side
Signal at
Receiver side
Figure 8.2. Typical Backplane Application with Tx Equalizer