Digital data transmitter

• US 7,218,678 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuguchi, Yuji, Katta, Noboru, Sakai, Takahisa, Kawada, Hirotsugu, Kurosaki, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard; Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US10/398,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 375/259, 375/261, 375/295, 375/296, 375/316, 375/231, 375/358, 375/371
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/062 Setting decision thresholds using feedforward techniques only
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/066 Multilevel decisions, not including self-organising maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/085 Arrangements for reducing interference in line transmission systems, e.g. by differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4919 using balanced multilevel codes H04L25/4927 takes precedence

Abstract

A digital data transmission apparatus includes a transmitting end (100) that includes: a binary/quadrary conversion unit (110) for converting a data stream; a coding unit (120) for mapping converted data to be coded; a digital filter (130); a D/A conversion unit (140); a low-pass filter (150) for attenuating noises which are caused by folding distortion; a differential driver (160); low-pass filters (170a) and (170b) for eliminating noises from differentially outputted signals; and a common mode choke coil (180) for eliminating common mode noises and outputting a resultant signal to a twisted pair cable (300), and a receiving end (200) that includes: a low-pass filter (210) for eliminating noises from the twisted pair cable; a receiver (220); an A/D conversion unit (230); a digital filter (240); an evaluation unit (250) for evaluating a signal level of a received signal; a decoding unit (260) for decoding the signal level into received data; and a synchronization unit (270) for generating a clock.

Claims

1. A digital data transmission system comprising:

a data coding unit operable to convert digital data into a signal level corresponding to a symbol that is assigned to the digital data in each symbol cycle as a prescribed unit cycle;

a first digital filter having a first sampling cycle that is shorter than a unit cycle of a signal level string which has been obtained by said data coding unit, said first digital filter being operable to pass only predetermined frequencies;

a D/A converter operable to convert a digital data stream that has passed though said first digital filter into an analog signal;

a first low-pass filter operable to eliminate folding distortion of said first digital filter from the analog signal obtained by said D/A converter, which distortion is decided in the first sampling cycle;

a differential driver operable to convert an output of said first low-pass filter into two converted signals having opposite polarities relative to a predetermined reference potential, and to differentially output the converted signals;

a second low-pass filter operable to eliminate a predetermined frequency band from each of the converted signals which are outputted from said differential driver, and to output obtained signals up to a twisted pair cable;

a differential receiver operable to receive transmission signals which are transmitted through the twisted pair cable, and to convert a difference in potential between two wires of the cable pair into a signal;

an A/D converter operable to convert the signal outputted from said differential receiver into a digital signal value in each second sampling cycle;

a second digital filter operable to pass only a predetermined frequency band of a digital data stream that has been obtained by sampling a signal of said A/D converter; and

a level evaluator operable to evaluate a symbol value from a level of a signal in symbol timing, including a symbol in the signal, based on an output from said second digital filter, and to convert the symbol value into corresponding digital data,

wherein said first and second digital filters both have low-pass characteristics, and said first digital filter has frequency characteristics of cutting off at least frequency data which are higher than a frequency band in which electromagnetic waves emitted from the respective signals that pass through the twisted pair cable cancel out, thereby to eliminate emission of the electromagnetic waves to outside the twisted pair cable, and

wherein a combination of said first low-pass filter and said second low-pass filter provides low-cut characteristics of eliminating folding distortion of said first digital filter, which is decided in the first sampling cycle.

2. The digital data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said first and second digital filters have transmission characteristics that exhibit roll-off characteristics in a case where signals are passed through said two digital filters.

3. A digital data transmission apparatus operable to transmit data signals using a twisted pair cable, said apparatus comprising:

a data coding unit operable to convert digital data into a signal level corresponding to a symbol that is assigned to the digital data in each symbol cycle as a prescribed unit cycle;

a first digital filter having a first sampling cycle that is shorter than a unit cycle of a signal level string which has been obtained by said data coding unit, said first digital filter being operable to pass only predetermined frequencies;

a D/A converter operable to convert a digital data stream that has passed through said first digital filter into an analog signal;

a first low-pass filter operable to eliminate folding distortion of said first digital filter from the analog signal obtained by said D/A converter, which distortion is decided in the first sampling cycle;

a differential driver operable to convert an output of said first low-pass filter into two converted signals having opposite polarities relative to a predetermined reference potential, and to output the converted signals; and

a second low-pass filter operable to eliminate a predetermined frequency band from each of the converted signals which are outputted from said differential driver, and to output obtained signals to the twisted pair cable,

wherein said first digital filter has low-pass characteristics of cutting off at least frequency data which are higher than a frequency band in which electromagnetic waves emitted from the respective signals that pass though the twisted pair cable cancel out, thereby to eliminate emission of electromagnetic waves to outside the twisted pair cable, and

wherein a combination of said first low-pass filter and second low-pass filter provides low-cut characteristics of eliminating folding distortion of said first digital filter, which is decided in the first sampling cycle.

4. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a common mode choke coil operable to eliminate common mode noises from the signals from which the predetermined frequency band has been eliminated by said second low-pass filter, and to output obtained signals to the twisted pair cable.

5. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 3,

wherein said first digital filter has transmission characteristics that exhibit roll-off characteristics in the case where transmission signals are passed through said first digital filter and a second digital filter,

wherein said second digital filter is included in a digital data receiving apparatus that is connected in a stage subsequent to said digital data transmission apparatus and comprises a differential receiver operable to receive transmission signals that are transmitted from a digital data transmission apparatus having the same structure as said digital data transmission apparatus and to convert a difference in potential between two wires into a signal;

an A/D converter operable to convert the signal outputted from the differential receiver into a digital signal value in each second sampling cycle;

said second digital filter operable to pass only a predetermined frequency band of a digital data stream that has been obtained by sampling a signal of the A/D converter; and

a level evaluator operable to evaluate a symbol value from a level of a signal in symbol timing, including a symbol in the signal, based on an output from said second digital filter, and to convert the symbol value into corresponding digital data.

6. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 5, wherein said data coding unit is further operable to convert data, comprising two or more bits per symbol cycle, into a symbol to be transmitted.

7. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data coding unit has signal levels which are more than the number of kinds of symbols to be transmitted per symbol cycle, and is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to one of the signal levels.

8. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 7, wherein said data coding unit has five signal levels, and is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal level other than a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing, in the order of 01, 11, 00, 10, starting from a lowest signal level.

9. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 7,

wherein digital data to be transmitted have been coded by a bi-phase mark method, and

wherein said data coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal level other than a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing, in the order of 01, 11, 00, 10, starting from a lowest signal level, thereby to decide a signal level to be transmitted.

10. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 7, wherein said data coding unit includes:

a previous level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to the signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing; and

a coding unit operable to decide a signal level corresponding to the symbol to be transmitted, based on the previous signal level and the transmission symbol.

11. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 10, wherein said coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal level having a predetermined difference from the previous signal level that is stored in said previous signal level storage unit.

12. The data transmission apparatus of claim 11, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

13. The data transmission apparatus of claim 7, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

14. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data coding unit has five signal levels, and is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal level other than a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing, in the order of 01, 11, 00, 10, starting from a lowest signal level.

15. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 14, wherein said data coding unit includes:

a previous level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to the signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing; and

a coding unit operable to decide a signal level corresponding to the symbol to be transmitted, based on the previous signal level and the transmission symbol.

16. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 15, wherein said coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal having a predetermined difference from the previous signal level that is stored in said previous signal level storage unit.

17. The data transmission apparatus of claim 16, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

18. The data transmission apparatus of claim 14, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

19. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 6,

wherein digital data to be transmitted have been coded by a bi-phase mark method, and

wherein said data coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal level other than a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing, in the order of 01, 11, 00, 10, starting from a lowest signal level, thereby to decide a signal level to be transmitted.

20. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 19, wherein said data coding unit includes:

a previous level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to the signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing; and

a coding unit operable to decide a signal level corresponding to the symbol to be transmitted, based on the previous signal level and the transmission symbol.

21. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 20, wherein said coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal having a predetermined difference from the previous signal level that is stored in said previous signal level storage unit.

22. The data transmission apparatus of claim 21, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

23. The data transmission apparatus of claim 19, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

24. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data coding unit includes:

a previous level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to the signal which was transmitted in an immediately preceding symbol transmission timing; and

a coding unit operable to decide a signal level corresponding to the symbol to be transmitted, based on the previous signal level and the transmission symbol.

25. The digital data transmission apparatus of claim 24, wherein said coding unit is further operable to assign a symbol in a symbol transmission timing to a signal having a predetermined difference from the previous signal level that is stored in said previous signal level storage unit.

26. The data transmission apparatus of claim 25, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

27. The data transmission apparatus of claim 24, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

28. The data transmission apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data coding unit is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the transmission signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

29. A digital data receiving apparatus operable to receive transmission signals that have been transmitted from a digital data transmission apparatus operable to transmit data signals using a twisted pair cable, the digital data transmission apparatus comprising:

a data coding unit operable to convert digital data into a signal level corresponding to a symbol that is assigned to the digital data in each symbol cycle as a prescribed unit cycle;

a first digital filter having a first sampling cycle that is shorter than a unit cycle of a signal level string which has been obtained by the data coding unit said first digital filter being operable to pass only predetermined frequencies;

a D/A converter operable to convert a digital data stream that has passed through said first digital filter into an analog signal;

a first low-pass filter operable to eliminate folding distortion of said first digital filter from the analog signal obtained by the D/A converter, which distortion is decided in the first sampling cycle;

a differential driver operable to convert an output of the first low-pass filter into two converted signals having opposite polarities relative to a predetermined reference potential, and to output the converted signals; and

a second low-pass filter operable to eliminate a predetermined frequency band from each of the converted signals which are outputted from the differential driver, and to output obtained signals to the twisted pair cable, wherein said first digital filter has low-pass characteristics of cutting off at least frequency data which are higher than a frequency band in which electromagnetic waves emitted from the respective signals that pass through the twisted pair cable cancel out, thereby to eliminate emission of electromagnetic waves to outside the twisted pair cable, and by combining the first low-pass filter and the second low-pass filters, wherein a combination of the first and second low-pass filters have low-cut characteristics of eliminating folding distortion of said first digital filter, which is decided in the first sampling cycle, said digital data receiving apparatus comprising;

a differential receiver operable to receive transmission signals which are transmitted from said digital data transmission apparatus through the twisted pair cable, and to convert a difference in potential between two wires of the cable into a signal;

an A/D converter operable to convert the signal outputted from said differential receiver into a digital signal value in each second sampling cycle;

a second digital filter operable to pass only a predetermined frequency band of a digital data stream that has been obtained by sampling a signal of said A/D converter; and

a level evaluator operable to evaluate a symbol value from a level of a signal in symbol timing, including a symbol in the signal, based on an output from said second digital filter, and to convert the symbol value into corresponding digital data.

30. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 29, wherein said second digital filter has transmission characteristics that exhibit roll-off characteristics in the case where the transmission signals are passed through said first digital filter and said second digital filter.

31. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 30, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

32. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 29,

wherein said level evaluator comprises a signal level detector operable to detect a signal level in each symbol cycle, and a previous signal level storage unit operable to store the previous signal level which was received in an immediately preceding symbol receipt timing, and

wherein said level evaluator is operable to decode the signal level detected by said signal level detector into a corresponding symbol, based on the previous signal level that is stored in said previous signal level storage unit.

33. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 32, wherein said level evaluator further includes:

a threshold controller operable to correct an evaluation threshold level based on variation values in respective signal levels which were received during a predetermined period;

a previous signal level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was received in an immediately preceding symbol receiving timing; and

a threshold evaluator that has a threshold value, and that is operable to perform threshold evaluation to a difference in signal level between a signal level detected in a symbol receipt timing and the previous signal level, thereby to decode a symbol value.

34. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 33, wherein said level evaluator further includes a synchronization unit operable to establish synchronization with a symbol cycle of a received signal, to extract frequency components having a half cycle as long as the symbol cycle from the received signal and to control a symbol timing at which a symbol is detected based on a phase of an extracted signal.

35. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 34, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

36. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 33, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

37. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 32, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

38. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 29, wherein said level evaluator includes:

a threshold controller operable to correct an evaluation threshold level based on variation values in respective signal levels which were received during a predetermined period;

a previous signal level storage unit operable to store a previous signal level corresponding to a signal which was received in an immediately preceding symbol receipt timing; and

a threshold evaluator that has a threshold value, and that is operable to perform threshold evaluation to a difference in signal level between a signal level detected in a symbol receipt timing and the previous signal level, thereby to decode a symbol value.

39. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 38, wherein said level evaluator further includes a synchronization unit operable to establish synchronization with a symbol cycle of a received signal, to extract frequency components having a half cycle as long as the symbol cycle from the received signal and to control a symbol timing at which a symbol is detected based on a phase of an extracted signal.

40. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 39, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

41. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 38, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

42. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 29, wherein said level evaluator includes a synchronization unit operable to establish synchronization with a symbol cycle of a received signal, to extract frequency components having a half cycle as long as the symbol cycle from the received signal and to control a symbol timing at which a symbol is detected on a phase of an extracted signal.

43. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 42, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.

44. The digital data receiving apparatus of claim 29, wherein said level evaluator is supplied with a transmission method instruction signal indicating whether the received signal has been coded by the bi-phase mark method.