DS90CR287, DS90CR288A
www.ti.com
SNLS056G –OCTOBER 1999–REVISED MARCH 2013
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The TSSOP version of the DS90CR287 and DS90CR288A are backward compatible with the existing 5V
Channel Link transmitter/receiver pair (DS90CR283, DS90CR284). To upgrade from a 5V to a 3.3V system the
following must be addressed:
1. Change 5V power supply to 3.3V. Provide this supply to the VCC, LVDS VCC and PLL VCC.
2. Transmitter input and control inputs except 3.3V TTL/CMOS levels. They are not 5V tolerant.
3. The receiver powerdown feature when enabled will lock receiver output to a logic low.
The Channel Link devices are intended to be used in a wide variety of data transmission applications. Depending
upon the application the interconnecting media may vary. For example, for lower data rate (clock rate) and
shorter cable lengths (< 2m), the media electrical performance is less critical. For higher speed/long distance
applications the media's performance becomes more critical. Certain cable constructions provide tighter skew
(matched electrical length between the conductors and pairs). Additional applications information can be found in
the following Interface Application Notes:
AN = #### Topic
AN-1041 (SNLA218) Introduction to Channel Link
AN-1108(SNLA008) Channel Link PCB and Interconnect Design-In Guidelines
AN-806 (SNLA026) Transmission Line Theory
AN-905 (SNLA035) Transmission Line Calculations and Differential Impedance
AN-916 (SNLA219) Cable Information
CABLES: A cable interface between the transmitter and receiver needs to support the differential LVDS pairs.
The 21-bit CHANNEL LINK chipset (DS90CR217/218A) requires four pairs of signal wires and the 28-bit
CHANNEL LINK chipset (DS90CR287/288A) requires five pairs of signal wires. The ideal cable/connector
interface would have a constant 100Ωdifferential impedance throughout the path. It is also recommended that
cable skew remain below 140ps (@ 85 MHz clock rate) to maintain a sufficient data sampling window at the
receiver.
In addition to the four or five cable pairs that carry data and clock, it is recommended to provide at least one
additional conductor (or pair) which connects ground between the transmitter and receiver. This low impedance
ground provides a common-mode return path for the two devices. Some of the more commonly used cable types
for point-to-point applications include flat ribbon, flex, twisted pair and Twin-Coax. All are available in a variety of
configurations and options. Flat ribbon cable, flex and twisted pair generally perform well in short point-to-point
applications while Twin-Coax is good for short and long applications. When using ribbon cable, it is
recommended to place a ground line between each differential pair to act as a barrier to noise coupling between
adjacent pairs. For Twin-Coax cable applications, it is recommended to utilize a shield on each cable pair. All
extended point-to-point applications should also employ an overall shield surrounding all cable pairs regardless
of the cable type. This overall shield results in improved transmission parameters such as faster attainable
speeds, longer distances between transmitter and receiver and reduced problems associated with EMS or EMI.
The high-speed transport of LVDS signals has been demonstrated on several types of cables with excellent
results. However, the best overall performance has been seen when using Twin-Coax cable. Twin-Coax has very
low cable skew and EMI due to its construction and double shielding. All of the design considerations discussed
here and listed in the supplemental application notes provide the subsystem communications designer with many
useful guidelines. It is recommended that the designer assess the tradeoffs of each application thoroughly to
arrive at a reliable and economical cable solution.
RECEIVER FAILSAFE FEATURE: These receivers have input failsafe bias circuitry to guarantee a stable
receiver output for floating or terminated receiver inputs. Under these conditions receiver inputs will be in a HIGH
state. If a clock signal is present, data outputs will all be HIGH; if the clock input is also floating/terminated, data
outputs will remain in the last valid state. A floating/terminated clock input will result in a HIGH clock output.
BOARD LAYOUT: To obtain the maximum benefit from the noise and EMI reductions of LVDS, attention should
be paid to the layout of differential lines. Lines of a differential pair should always be adjacent to eliminate noise
interference from other signals and take full advantage of the noise canceling of the differential signals. The
board designer should also try to maintain equal length on signal traces for a given differential pair. As with any
high-speed design, the impedance discontinuities should be limited (reduce the numbers of vias and no 90
degree angles on traces). Any discontinuities which do occur on one signal line should be mirrored in the other
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Product Folder Links: DS90CR287 DS90CR288A