Plesiochronous Communication for Silicon-Constrained High-Speed Serial Links

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(Public Law 111-5)资助的。本研究的目标是展示在高速串行链路上使用时域信号调制的高能效混合信号硅收发器电路。该方法是采用准同步双边沿脉冲宽度调制，以在给定互连上实现比传统脉冲幅度调制更高的数据速率。将发明和制造一个90纳米硅混合信号收发电路来验证通道和信源编码方法。智能优点：这项研究研究了在高规模硅集成电路工艺施加的互连带宽和峰值功率限制下的最优信令。通过结合CMOS电路设计的先进技术和通信理论来解决深亚微米CMOS的物理限制和传输通道的不利影响，将实现性能改进。更广泛的影响：该项目解决了服务器和计算机通信方面的能源节约问题。据估计，全球需要超过1千兆瓦的电力来为高速串行链路供电，这些链路在微处理器和内存之间交换数据，并为工作、娱乐和社交提供联网和计算的好处。这项研究的结果推动了全球对技术的关注，一致的教育努力将教授和培训学生关于能源和技术的相互作用，以及电路设计如何满足低功耗计算和通信的需求。该项目将培训一名博士生，并通过积极的导师向初中生和高中生开展外联活动。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The objective of this research is to demonstrate energy efficient, mixed-signal silicon transceiver circuitry using time-domain signal modulation for high-speed serial links. The approach is to employ plesiochronous double-edge pulse-width modulation to achieve higher data rates than traditional pulse amplitude modulation over a given interconnect. A 90-nanometer silicon mixed-signal transceiver circuit will be invented and fabricated to verify the channel and source coding approach.Intellectual Merit: This research investigates optimal signaling subject to interconnect bandwidth and peak power constraints imposed by highly scaled silicon integrated circuit processes. Performance improvements will be achieved by combining both advances in CMOS circuit design and communication theory to address the physical constraints of deep submicron CMOS and the adverse effects of the transmission channel. Broader Impacts: This project addresses energy savings in server and computer communication. It is estimated that more than one gigaWatt of power is required worldwide to power the high-speed serial links that exchange data between microprocessors and memory and enable the benefits of networking and computing for work, entertainment, and social interaction. The outcomes of this research advance a global technology concern, and coincident educational efforts will teach and train students about the interaction of energy and technology and how circuit design addresses the need for low power computation and communication. The project will train a Ph.D. student and includes outreach activities to middle and high school students through active mentorship.