A 1-V 1.25-Gbps CMOS analog front-end for short reach optical links

Abstract

This paper presents a new adaptive equalizer for short reach applications through low-cost plastic optical fiber. The adaptive equalizer uses the spectrum balancing technique to compensate the limited bandwidth caused by the fiber and the external photodiode. The prototype has been implemented in a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process fed at 1 V. It consumes 38.6 mW at 1.25 Gb/s.