Analog front-end transmitter and a connection method of an X-digital subscriber line having a pre-distortion mechanism

• US 9,413,539 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Chu, Hung-Chen, Chen, Yung Tai, Lin, Shian-Ru
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US14/248,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/304 and using xDSL modems xDSL line qualification H04M3/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1319 Amplifier, attenuation circuit, echo suppressor

Abstract

A Pre-distortion mechanism for transmit path non-linearity in xDSL AFE is disclosed in the present invention. The AFE includes a line driver and a pre-distortion signal generator. The line driver receives an input differential signal and generates an output differential signal. The input differential signal includes a first input signal and a second input signal. The output differential signal includes a first output signal and a second output signal. The line driver receives the first input signal to generate the first output signal and receives the second input signal to generate the second output signal. The pre-distortion signal generator is coupled to input ends and output ends of the line driver. The pre-distortion signal generator generates a pre-distortion signal according to a first difference between the first input signal and the first output signal, and a second difference between the second input signal and the second output signal so as to adjust an output state of the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism.

Claims

1. An analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism, comprising:

a line driver, for receiving an input differential signal and generating an output differential signal wherein the input differential signal comprises a first input signal and a second input signal;

the output differential signal comprises a first output signal and a second output signal;

the line driver receives the first input signal to generate the first output signal and receives the second input signal to generate the second output signal; and

a pre-distortion signal generator, coupled to input ends and output ends of the line driver, wherein the pre-distortion signal generator generates a pre-distortion signal according to a first difference between the first input signal and the first output signal, and a second difference between the second input signal and the second output signal so as to adjust an output of the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism.

2. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the pre-distortion signal generator comprises:

a calculating circuit, for calculating the first difference and second difference to generate a pre-distortion value;

a temperature sensor, for sensing a temperature of the analog front-end to generate a sensing signal; and

a memory unit, for generating a pre-distortion table according to the repeatedly detected pre-distortion values and adjusting the pre-distortion table according to the sensing signal;

wherein the pre-distortion signal generator generates the pre-distortion signal according to the pre-distortion table.

3. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising a digital signal processor wherein the digital signal processor adjusts an output of a digital-to-analog converter of the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to the pre-distortion signal.

4. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the digital signal processor generates swing band plan information to the memory unit to define the pre-distortion table.

5. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the calculating circuit comprises:

a first operation amplifier, receiving the first input signal and the second input signal to generate a first amplified signal and a second amplified signal wherein the first output signal and the second amplified signal are in phase opposition and the second output signal and the first amplified signal are in phase opposition;

a calculating unit, adding the first amplified signal and the second output signal at a node to generate a first calculating signal, and adding the second amplified signal and the first output signal at another node to generate a second calculating signal; and

a second operation amplifier, amplifying the first calculating signal and the second calculating signal to generate the first difference and the second difference.

6. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the calculating circuit comprises:

a first delay circuit, delaying the first input signal to generate a first delay signal;

a second delay circuit, delaying the second input signal to generate a second delay signal;

a calculating unit, adjusting the first delay signal to generate a first ratio adjustment signal, adjusting the second delay signal to generate a second ratio adjustment signal, adding the first ratio adjustment signal and the first output signal at a node to generate a first calculating signal, and adding the second ratio adjustment signal and the second output signal at another node to generate a second calculating signal; and

a second operation amplifier, amplifying the first calculating signal and the second calculating signal to a preset range to generate the first difference and the second difference.

7. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the calculating circuit further comprises an analog-to-digital converter, converting the first difference and the second difference to generate the pre-distortion value.

8. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is applicable to an analog front-end receiver.

9. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the second operation amplifier is applicable to an analog front-end receiver.

10. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of switches, for switching the coupling between the analog-to-digital converter and the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism within a preset period and switching the coupling between the second operation amplifier and the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism within the preset period.

11. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of switches, for switching the coupling between the analog-to-digital converter and the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism within a preset period and switching the coupling between the second operation amplifier and the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism within the preset period.

12. The analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the pre-distortion signal generator adjusts the first input signal and the second input signal according to an amplification ratio corresponding to the line driver.

13. A connection method of an x-Digital Subscriber Line, comprising:

providing an x-Digital Subscriber Line to detect a length of connection;

executing handshaking of the x-Digital Subscriber Line to define a plan of online signal power and bandwidths;

receiving an input differential signal and generating an output differential signal, wherein the input differential signal comprises a first input signal and a second input signal, and the output differential signal comprises a first output signal and a second output signal;

calculating a first difference between the first input signal and the first output signal and a second difference between the second input signal and the second output signal to generate a pre-distortion value, and generating a pre-distortion table according to repeatedly detected pre-distortion values;

selecting a pre-distortion value from the pre-distortion table according to current online signals; and

providing a digital signal processor to adjust a difference between input and output signals of a line driver of the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism according to the pre-distortion value.

14. The connection method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-distortion table is a look-up table comprising a plurality of repeatedly detected pre-distortion values.

15. A method for adjusting an output of an analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism, comprising:

receiving an input differential signal and generating an output differential signal wherein the input differential signal comprises a first input signal and a second input signal;

the output differential signal comprises a first output signal and a second output signal;

receiving the first input signal to generate the first output signal;

receiving the second input signal to generate the second output signal; and

generating a pre-distortion signal according to a first difference between the first input signal and the first output signal, and a second difference between the second input signal and the second output signal so as to adjust the output of the analog front-end transmitter having a pre-distortion mechanism.