Abstract: The present invention provides a physical layer and associated signal processing method for clock domain transfer of quarter-rate data.

Abstract: A receiver device and an eye pattern-based control parameter adjustment method are provided. The receiver device includes a receiving circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit performs an iterative operation to determine an optimized control parameter, and updates current control parameters of the receiving circuit to the optimized control parameter after completing the iterative operation. The receiving circuit processes an input signal according to the current control parameters to generate recovered data. The iterative operation includes: updating the current control parameters of the receiving circuit to candidate control parameters; checking a size relationship between an optimized eye mask and a current eye pattern; and increasing the optimized eye mask according to the current eye pattern when the optimized eye mask does not conflict with the current eye pattern, and updating the optimized control parameters to the candidate control parameters corresponding to the new eye mask.

Abstract: A method for performing divided-clock phase synchronization in a multi-divided-clock system, an associated synchronization control circuit, an associated synchronization control sub-circuit and an associated electronic device are provided. The method may include: performing frequency division operations according to a source clock to generate a first divided clock and a second divided clock; performing phase relationship detection on the first divided clock according to the second divided clock to generate a phase relationship detection result signal; performing a logic operation on a first phase selection result output signal and the phase relationship detection result signal to generate a second phase selection result output signal; and outputting one of the second divided clock and an inverted signal of the second divided clock according to the second phase selection result output signal, for further use in a physical layer circuit.

Abstract: An eye opening monitor device and an operation method thereof are provided. The eye opening monitor device includes a phase interpolator, a first sampling circuit, a second sampling circuit, and a clock centering circuit. The first sampling circuit samples a data signal according to a data clock to generate first sampled data. The second sampling circuit samples the data signal according to a phase interpolation clock to generate second sampled data. The phase interpolator changes a phase of the phase interpolation clock according to a phase interpolation code. The clock centering circuit counts multiple comparison results of the first sampled data and the second sampled data in multiple clock cycles to obtain an error count value for any one of different phase interpolation codes. The clock centering circuit determines the phase interpolation code provided to the phase interpolator based on the error count values corresponding to different phase interpolation codes.

Abstract: A clock data calibration circuit including a first comparator, a multi-phase clock generator, a plurality of samplers, a plurality of data comparators and a data selector is provided. The first comparator compares first input data with second input data to generate a data signal. The multi-phase clock generator generates a plurality of clock signals, and the clock signals are divided into a plurality of clock groups. The sampler samples the data signal according to the clock groups to respectively generate a plurality of first sampled data signal groups. The data comparators respectively sample the first sampled data signal groups according to selected clocks to generate a plurality of second sampled data signal groups. Each data comparator generates a plurality of status flags according to a variation state of a plurality of second sampled data. The data selector generates a plurality of output data signals according to the status flags.

Abstract: The invention provides a transaction layer circuit of a PCIe. The transaction layer circuit includes transaction layer processing channels, a channel selection circuit, and a merge circuit. The transaction layer processing channels are coupled to a data bus transmitting at least one packet data output by a data link layer circuit of the PCIe. The channel selection circuit receives packet start/end location information in a current clock cycle from the data link layer circuit, and distributes at least one packet data in the current clock cycle to at least one transaction layer processing channel according to the packet start/end location information. The merge circuit is coupled to the transaction layer processing channels and selectively merges transaction layer processing results output by the transaction layer processing channels based on the distribution of the packet data in the current clock cycle to the transaction layer processing channels via the channel selection circuit.

Abstract: A clock data calibration circuit including a first comparator, a multi-phase clock generator, a plurality of samplers, a plurality of data comparators and a data selector is provided. The first comparator compares first input data with second input data to generate a data signal. The multi-phase clock generator generates a plurality of clock signals, and the clock signals are divided into a plurality of clock groups. The sampler samples the data signal according to the clock groups to respectively generate a plurality of first sampled data signal groups. The data comparators respectively sample the first sampled data signal groups according to selected clocks to generate a plurality of second sampled data signal groups. Each data comparator generates a plurality of status flags according to a variation state of a plurality of second sampled data. The data selector generates a plurality of output data signals according to the status flags.

Abstract: The electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus includes a first well, a second well, a first doping region, and a second doping region. The first well is disposed in a substrate having a first conductivity type, wherein the first well has a second conductivity type and the substrate is electrically connected to a first pad. The second well is disposed in the first well, wherein the second well has the first conductivity type. The first doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the first doping region has the second conductivity type, and the first doping region is electrically connected to a second pad. The second doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the second doping region has the first conductivity type.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing baseline wander correction (BLWC) with the aid of differential wander current sensing includes filters and a correction circuit. The filters are positioned in a front-end circuit of a receiver and coupled to a set of input terminals of the receiver, and filter a set of input signals on the set of input terminals to generate a set of differential signals on a set of secondary terminals, for further usage by the receiver. The correction circuit is positioned in the frontend circuit and electrically connected to the set of input terminals and the set of secondary terminals, and performs BLWC on the set of differential signals according to the set of input signals. In the correction circuit, amplifiers and resistors form a differential wander current sensor to sense differential wander current, and a set of current mirrors generate corresponding baseline wander compensation current to perform BLWC.

Abstract: An echo cancellation device and an echo cancellation method thereof applied in a communication device are provided. The echo cancellation device includes an echo canceller and a combine circuit. The echo canceller obtains a plurality of delayed signals from a local signal of the communication device, and the delayed signals are divided into a plurality of delayed signal groups. The echo canceller selectively ignores at least one of the delayed signal groups, and the echo canceller generates an echo cancellation signal with the others of the delayed signal groups. The combine circuit is coupled to an interface circuit of the communication device to receive a received signal. The combine circuit cancels an echo component of the received signal with the echo cancellation signal to generate a cancelled signal.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a Trellis-Coded-Modulation (TCM) decoder applied in a receiver, wherein the TCM decoder includes a branch metric unit, a path metric unit, a trace-back length selection circuit and a survival path management circuit. In operations of the TCM decoder, the branch metric unit is configured to receive multiple input codes to generate multiple sets of branch information. The path metric unit is configured to calculate multiple survival paths according to the multiple sets of branch information. The trace-back length selection circuit is configured to select a trace-back length, wherein the trace-back length is determined according to a signal quality of the receiver. The survival path management circuit is configured to return the multiple survival paths for the trace-back length in order to generate an output code.

Abstract: A Successive Approximation Register Analog-to-Digital Converter (SAR ADC) is disclosed. The SAR ADC includes a switched capacitor array, a buffer, a comparator and a control logic circuit. The switched capacitor array is arranged to sample an input signal according to a switch control signal to generate a sampling signal. The buffer is arranged to generate a common mode voltage. The comparator is arranged to receive the sampling signal and the common mode voltage in order to generate a comparison result. The control logic circuit is arranged to generate an output signal according to the comparison result, and generate the switch control signal to control the switched capacitor array. The control logic circuit further generates an operation control signal to adjust a Miller compensation capacitor inside the buffer. An associated control method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An adaptor device including a first interface, a second interface, a negotiation circuit and a type C manager and controller is provided. The first interface is a universal serial bus (USB) 2.0 interface, and the second interface is a type C USB interface. When the first interface receives a first mode swap request, the type C manager and controller transmits a first mode swap signal in a type C format through the second interface according to the first mode swap request; when the second interface receives a second mode swap request, the negotiation circuit transmits a second mode swap signal in a USB 2.0 format through the first interface according to the second mode swap request.

Abstract: A clock generation circuit for generating a plurality of output clocks includes: a differential circuit for receiving a single input clock signal and outputting two differential clock signals, and a DC signal; a first polyphase filter for generating four clock signals from the differential clock signals which are a quadrature phase apart from each other; a plurality of setting buffers for setting a same DC point for the four clock signals and generating four resultant clock signals; coupled polyphase filters for generating four more clock signals which are a quadrature apart from each other, and outputting the resultant eight clock signals; a phase mixer, for generating eight output clock signals 45 degrees apart from each other; and a plurality of restoration buffers for setting a DC point for each of the eight clock signals and generating eight output clock signals all riding on a same DC point.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a solid conductive plate, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The solid conductive plate is disposed above a substrate of a wafer. The solid conductive plate serves as a bottom plate of the capacitor. The first electrode is disposed above the solid conductive plate so that the solid conductive plate is located between the substrate and the first electrode. This first electrode serves as a top plate of the capacitor. The second electrode is disposed above the solid conductive plate, and is disposed beside the first electrode. The second electrode is electrically connected to the solid conductive plate.

Abstract: The controller includes a first equalizer, a first detector, a second detector, a multiplexer, a data clock generator, and a second equalizer. The first equalizer is configured to receive and equalize the input data. The first detector is configured to detect optimum phase of the input data. The optimum phase of the input data represents the input data peak. The second detector is configured to generate an envelope data according to the input data and detect peak of envelop with respect to sampling phase. The data clock generator is configured to generate the recovered data clock. The second equalizer is configured to generate the recovered data. The multiplexer is configured to generate an offset value according to the input data peak and the envelope data peak. The offset value represents the recovered data clock having an optimum sampling frequency and an optimum sampling phase.

Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit including a phase blender, a phase detector, a data sampling position detector and a data selector is provided. The phase blender generates a third clock signal and a fourth clock signal according to a first clock signal and a second clock signal. The phase detector samples a data signal according to the first and second clock signals to generate first sampled data, second sampled data and a phase state signal. The data sampling position detector samples the data signal according to the third and fourth clock signals to generate third sampled data, fourth sampled data and a control signal. The data selector generates output data according to the control signal and the phase state signal.

Abstract: A method for performing duty-cycle correction of an output clock in a Double Data Rate (DDR) system includes: setting a fixed delay of a rising-edge of the output clock as a parameter X which is equal to a digital Master Delay Locked Loop (MDLL) code of the DDR system multiplied by a percentage representing an estimated distortion of the duty-cycle of the output clock from a desired duty-cycle; shifting the rising-edge of the output clock by the fixed delay; and determining whether a duty cycle of the shifted output clock meets the desired duty-cycle. When a duty-cycle of the shifted output clock meets the desired duty-cycle, the fixed rising-edge delay is taken as a final delay code for the output clock; otherwise, a falling-edge of the output clock is shifted by an amount in a range between 0 and NX, wherein N is an integer.

Abstract: The electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus includes a first well, a second well, a first doping region, and a second doping region. The first well is disposed in a substrate having a first conductivity type, wherein the first well has a second conductivity type and the substrate is electrically connected to a first pad. The second well is disposed in the first well, wherein the second well has the first conductivity type. The first doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the first doping region has the second conductivity type, and the first doping region is electrically connected to a second pad. The second doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the second doping region has the first conductivity type.

Abstract: A comparing circuit and a comparing module with hysteresis are provided. The comparing module includes a first resistor, a second resistor, and the comparing circuit, which are electrically connected to each other. A comparison voltage is determined according to an input voltage and the resistances of the first resistor and the second resistor. The comparing circuit includes an input circuit, an eternal circuit, and a coupling module. The coupling module includes a first coupling transistor, a second coupling transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth coupling resistor. Control terminals of the first coupling transistor and the second coupling transistor are selectively electrically connected to either one of a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminals of the third coupling transistor and the fourth coupling transistor are selectively electrically connected to either one of the first terminal and the second terminal.