Nvidia patents signal booster that adjusts voltage levels for data receivers
Nvidia describes a receiver component that cleans up electrical signals before they are processed. It uses a circuit to shift the signal's voltage to a safe level and a passive network to reduce noise and boost weak parts of the signal.
In the filing’s own words
Technologies for providing passive equalization with front-end level shifter (FELS) are described. One receiver device includes an input terminal, an analog signal processing circuit; and a front-end equalizer circuit coupled between the input terminal and the analog signal processing circuit. The front-end equalizer circuit includes a programmable common mode feedback (CMFB) circuit and a passive resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) network. The programmable CMFB circuit can receive, from the input terminal, an incoming agnostic common-mode (CM) signal having a first voltage level and a differential peak-to-peak voltage in at least one of an alternating current coupled mode (AC-coupled mode) or a direct current-coupled mode (DC-coupled mode). The programmable CMFB circuit can level shift the incoming agnostic CM signal to a CM signal having a second voltage level using an adjustable current source, the second voltage level corresponding to the analog signal processing circuit.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A receiver device comprising: an input terminal; an analog signal processing circuit; and a front-end equalizer circuit coupled between the input terminal and the analog signal processing circuit, wherein the front-end equalizer circuit comprises a programmable common mode feedback (CMFB) circuit and a passive resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) network, wherein: the programmable CMFB circuit is to receive, from the input terminal, an incoming agnostic common-mode (CM) signal having a first voltage level and a differential peak-to-peak voltage in at least one of an alternating current coupled mode (AC-coupled mode) or a direct current-coupled mode (DC-coupled mode); the programmable CMFB circuit is to level shift the incoming agnostic CM signal to a CM signal having a second voltage level using an adjustable current source, the second voltage level corresponding to the analog signal processing circuit; and the passive RLC network is to provide AC attenuation and DC attenuation over an attenuation range, while providing boost for long tail equalization (LTEQ) and low-pass filtering (LPF) for the analog signal processing circuit.
Facts
- Company
- Nvidia (NVIDIA Corporation)
- Official title
- Passive equalizer with front-end level-shifter (FELS)
- Patent number
- US12732400B2
- Application number
- 18905987
- Filed
- Oct 3, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 23
Classified under
H04L 25/03878 Electricity & electronicsH04L 25/03159 Electricity & electronicsH04L 2025/03522 Electricity & electronicsMore from Nvidia in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.