Signal processing in ultra-wide bandwidths is one of the key challenges in the design of multi-Gb/s wireless transceivers at mm-Waves, where channels covering 57GHz to 66GHz are specified. Further considering spreads due to process variations and the stringent reference phase noise to ensure signal integrity calls for an ultra-wide tuning range and low-noise on-chip oscillator. Meeting this target is even more challenging when adopting an ultra-scaled CMOS technology node where key passive components suffer from a reduced quality factor (Q) [1]. In a 32nm node the thickness of metals closer to the substrate is half that in a 65nm process leading, for example, to MOM capacitors with roughly half Q. The penalty is only marginally compensated by the higher transistor f t , improved only by ~20%. Various techniques exploiting alternative tuning implementations have been published recently. Magnetic tuning methods where the equivalent tank inductance is varied through reflection of the secondary coil impedance of a transformer demonstrate outstanding tuning ranges but at the cost of a severe trade-off with tank Q and poor noise FOMs [2,3]. A bank of capacitors switched in and out in an LC tank is the most popular tuning approach [4][5][6]. However the quality factor is severely degraded, when large ranges are involved. In this work, the switched-capacitor tank of the VCO shown in Fig. 20.3.1 is centered around two different resonance frequencies by splitting the inductor through the switch M sw . In particular, an up-shift is produced when the switch is off due to its parasitic capacitance. The frequency range is significantly increased without compromising tank Q leading to large tuning range and high FOM simultaneously. Prototypes of the VCO have been realized in 32nm CMOS showing the following performances: 31.6% frequency tuning range, minimum phase noise of -118dBc/Hz at 10MHz offset from 40GHz with 9.8mW power dissipation. Despite being realized in an ultra-scaled 32nm standard digital CMOS process without RF thick metal options, the oscillator shows state-of-the-art performances.To gain insight into the advantages of the proposed technique, Fig. 20.3.2 shows a simplified equivalent circuit of an oscillator with the traditional switched-tankcapacitor C T approach and the proposed alternative consisting of a switch in series with the inductor L T . The negative resistance models the active devices while C fix , comparable or even larger than C T at mm-Waves, represents the fixed capacitance loading the tank, introduced primarily by parasitics of the negative resistance and buffer. When the switch is on, the two tanks have the same resonance frequency of 1/(2π(L T (C fix +C T )) 1/2 ).On the other hand, for the same switch parasitic capacitance c sw , the introduced technique leads to a much higher frequency jump. In fact c sw appears in series with C T +C fix instead of C T only, determining a larger variation of the equivalent tank capacitance. In the ultimate assumption of c sw <

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Multi-mode fiber (MMF) is the most cost-effective fiber for high-speed LANs. Modal dispersion leads to optical-energy spreading over several symbol periods, drastically limiting distance and data-rate. Compared with copper channels, equalization is challenging because the channel response varies enormously from fiber to fiber and also over time [1]. These aspects, paired with the practical difficulty of implementing TX pulse shaping, increase the equalization burden at the receiver. To date, electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) consisting of an FIR filter cascaded with a nonlinear equalizer, such as DFE, enables 10Gb/s up to 300m according to the 10GBASE-LRM standard. To satisfy the demand for greater network capacity, solutions to reach 25Gb/s on a single fiber, and up to 400Gb/s aggregated throughput with space-division multiplexing on 16 fibers are being investigated [2]. At this data-rate, robust DSP-based EDCs still need high power, indicating an analog approach to signal processing to reduce power. To have market impact and economic feasibility, the interface must be flexible, accommodating a variable data-rates for compatibility with legacy channels and different standards [2]. In addition, achieving high energy efficiency at each standard (i.e., data rate) is fundamental.

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