MAX3881
+3.3V, 2.488Gbps, SDH/SONET
1:16 Deserializer with Clock Recovery
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although the jitter tolerance performance will be
degraded. For interfacing with PECL signal levels, see
Applications Information.
Phase Detector
The phase detector in the MAX3881 produces a volt-
age proportional to the phase difference between the
incoming data and the internal clock. Because of its
feedback nature, the PLL drives the error voltage to
zero, aligning the recovered clock to the center of the
incoming data eye for retiming. The external phase
adjust pins (PHADJ+, PHADJ-) allow the user to vary
the internal phase alignment.
Frequency Detector
The digital frequency detector (FD) aids frequency
acquisition during start-up conditions. The frequency
difference between the received data and the VCO
clock is derived by sampling the in-phase and quadra-
ture VCO outputs on both edges of the data input sig-
nal. Depending on the polarity of the frequency
difference, the FD drives the VCO until the frequency
difference is reduced to zero. Once frequency acquisi-
tion is complete, the FD returns to a neutral state. False
locking is completely eliminated by this digital frequen-
cy detector.
Loop Filter and VCO
The phase detector and frequency detector outputs are
summed into the loop filter. A 1.0µF capacitor, C
F
, is
required to set the PLL damping ratio.
The loop filter output controls the on-chip LC VCO run-
ning at 2.488GHz. The VCO provides low phase noise
and is trimmed to the correct frequency.
Loss-of-Lock Monitor
A loss-of-lock (LOL) monitor is included in the
MAX3881 frequency detector. A loss-of-lock condition
is signaled with a TTL low. When the PLL is frequency-
locked, LOL switches to TTL high in approximately
800ns.
Note that the LOL monitor is only valid when a data
stream is present on the inputs to the MAX3881. As a
result, LOL does not detect a loss-of-power condition
resulting from a loss of the incoming signal.
Positive Emitter-Coupled
Logic (PECL) Outputs
The MAX3881 features PECL outputs for the parallel
clock and data outputs. For proper operation, PECL
outputs should be terminated with 50Ω to (V
CC
- 2V). In
many cases, it is not feasible to use the 50Ω to (V
CC
-
2V) termination, so it may be preferable to terminate to
the Thèvenin equivalent. See application note HFAN-1,
Interfacing Between CML, PECL, and LVDS for more
details regarding the Thèvenin-equivalent PECL termi-
nation.
Design Procedure
Jitter Tolerance and Input
Sensitivity Trade-Offs
When the received data amplitude is higher than
50mVp-p, the MAX3881 provides a typical jitter toler-
ance of 0.46UIp-p at jitter frequencies greater than
10MHz. The SDH/SONET jitter tolerance specification is
0.15UIp-p, leaving a jitter allowance of 0.31UIp-p for
receiver preamplifier and postamplifier design.
The BER is better than 1 x 10
-10
for input signals
greater than 9.5mVp-p. At 25mVp-p, jitter tolerance will
be degraded, but will still be above the SDH/SONET
requirement. Trade-offs can be made between jitter tol-
erance and input voltage according to the specific
application. See the Typical Operating Characteristics
for Jitter Tolerance and BER vs. Input Voltage graphs.
Applications Information
Consecutive Identical Digits (CIDs)
The MAX3881 has a low phase and frequency drift in
the absence of data transitions. As a result, long runs of
consecutive zeros and ones can be tolerated while
maintaining a BER of 1 x 10
-10
. The CID tolerance is
tested using a 2
13
- 1 pseudorandom bit stream
(PRBS), substituting a long run of zeros to simulate the
worst case. A CID tolerance of greater than 2,000 bits
is typical.
Phase Adjust
The internal clock is aligned to the center of the data
eye. For specific applications, this sampling position
can be shifted using the PHADJ inputs to optimize BER
performance. The PHADJ inputs operate with differen-
tial input voltages up to ±1.5V. A simple resistor-divider
with a bypass capacitor is sufficient to set these levels
(Figure 4). When the PHADJ inputs are not used, they
should be tied directly to V
CC
.
System Loopback
The MAX3881 is designed to allow system loopback
testing. The user can connect a serializer output
(MAX3891) in a transceiver directly to the SLBI+ and
SLBI- inputs of the MAX3881 for system diagnostics. To
select the SLBI± inputs, apply a TTL logic high to the
SIS pin.
Interfacing with PECL Input Levels
When interfacing with differential PECL input levels, it is
important to attenuate the signal while still maintaining
