Santa Clara, Calif. — National Semiconductor Corp. has introduced a serializer and deserializer (SerDes) chipset that the company claims delivers the industry's best output jitter performance of 35 ps peak-to-peak and the best input jitter tolerance of 0.9 units interval (UI) with a bit error rate (BER) of 10-15. The SerDes chipset serializes data up to 3.125 Gbits/s and is well-suited for industrial and medical imaging, communications infrastructure, commercial displays, and test and measurement systems.
The highly integrated chipset includes the DS32ELX0421 serializer and DS32ELX0124 deserializer. They feature advanced on-chip signal and clock conditioning circuitry that extends the data transmission reach of CAT-6 (shielded 23 AWG) cable beyond 20 meters. The SerDes also support a variety of interconnect media including CAT-5 cable, optical fiber, 50-ohm or 75-ohm coaxial cable and FR-4 backplanes.
The SerDes' unique architecture replaces the traditional wide single-ended parallel bus with a 5-bit low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface. This interface simplifies board layout by reducing the number of input/output (I/O) pins and traces between the serializer, deserializer and field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In addition, the LVDS interface reduces electromagnetic interference (EMI), while enabling the use of low-cost FPGAs in a variety of high-speed, high-performance applications.
The SerDes' redundant I/Os and retimed active loop-through enable advanced system configurations such as failover, link aggregation and daisy chaining. Power consumption is less than 1 W, and both devices include an automatic standby mode using signal detect and a configurable sleep mode for additional power savings. Both devices are offered in a 48-pin LLP package.
The DS32ELX0421 serializer includes a double data-rate (DDR) 5-bit LVDS parallel data interface and a redundant serial output channel. The integrated jitter cleaning PLL accepts a 125-MHz to 312.5-MHz input clock for a serial data rate of 1.25 Gbits/s to 3.125 Gbits/s. The DS32ELX0421 allows programming of transmit de-emphasis levels, output voltage levels, and selection of DC-balance encoding. This programming flexibility enables the use of DS32ELX0421 in a wider range of interconnect media and applications compared to existing serializers, National said. A remote sensing feature automatically detects and negotiates link status with the companion DS32ELX0124 deserializer. The DS32ELX0421 typically consumes 470 mW of power at 3.125 Gbits/s.
The DS32ELX0124 deserializer includes a DDR 5-bit LVDS parallel interface, redundant serial input and retimed serial output channel. The DS32ELX0124 deserializes up to 3.125 Gbits/s of high-speed serial data to five LVDS outputs without the need for an external reference clock. The DS32ELX0124 offers programmable receive equalization, and a minimum jitter tolerance of 0.9 UI. A remote sensing feature automatically signals link status conditions to its companion DS32ELX0421 serializer for intelligent link management. The DS32ELX0124 typically consumes 525 mW of power at 3.125 Gbits/s.
In addition to the DS32ELX0421 and DS32ELX0124, National also offers the DS32EL0421 serializer for applications that do not require a redundant serial output channel and the DS32EL0124 deserializer without a redundant serial input and a retimed serial output channel.
National also offers reference IP and design guides for interfacing FPGAs to the DS32ELX0421 and DS32ELX0124. As part of its FPGA IP package, National includes a bit error rate test (BERT) engine for test pattern generation/validation and system-level functions such as link aggregation and failover.
Pricing: All available now, the DS32ELX0421 serializer and DS32ELX0124 deserializer are priced at $18 each in quantities of 1,000. The DS32EL0421 serializer without redundant output channel and the DS32EL0124 deserializer without redundant input and retimed output channel are $14 each in quantities of 1,000.
Product information: DS32ELX0421, DS32ELX0124, DS32EL0421, DS32EL0124 and interface products
National Semiconductor, www.national.com
