Fujitsu Chip Validates Toric’s Jitter Suppression Technology

Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME), a leading supplier of low power, mixed signal integrated circuits (ICs), and Toric Limited, a London-based technology licensing company and the supplier of PhaseFilter™, today announce the results of their collaboration to verify embedded jitter-suppressing macros based on Toric’s patented AJC (Anti-Jitter Cell) technology.

Toric is exhibiting its PhaseFilter Technology on Stand R19 in the Rhodes Suite at this month’s DATE (Design Automation & Test in Europe) exhibition and conference which runs from 16th to 20th April at the Acropolis, Nice, France.

AJC technology provides the foundation for Toric’s first product, ‘PhaseFilter’ a low-power, on-chip circuit for the suppression of jitter in clock signals. The design uses only generic building blocks and so can readily be implemented in a wide range of semiconductor technologies. On a typical advanced mixed-signal CMOS process, with an operating frequency in excess of 1GHz, macros with a 2:1 tracking range and -150dBc/Hz plateau noise (far from carrier) are achievable.

PhaseFilter can enhance the performance of ICs in a wide range of applications including RF (LO) synthesis, serial communications, low-power PLLs and digital audio. Direct benefits include reduced system power and silicon area. Equally important is the potential for lower bill of material (BoM) costs and shorter development cycles, both of which enable significant reduction in total solution cost compared with conventional jitter suppression techniques.

Professor Mike Underhill, Toric’s Research Director, said: “These impressive results confirm the efficacy of our technology in such applications as low power PLLs and fast high-resolution data converters. Since these areas are central to FME’s ’right-sized solutions strategy’ we are pleased that their faith in our technology has been rewarded by such a positive result.”

FME’s latest test chip, implemented in 90nm technology, demonstrates jitter suppression of 6:1 at 500MHz.

Neil Amos, Senior Director Engineering at Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe, added: “This implementation of Toric’s AJC technology is a key milestone in FME’s plans to deliver real customer benefits through the integration of PhaseFilter in future mixed-signal products”.

A PhaseFilter Developers’ Pack is available from Toric. The reference design and simulation tools enable designers to incorporate Toric’s AJC technology into their own products by creating, optimising and verifying embedded macros for jitter suppression which deliver high performance, with low power and are area-efficient.