An H-bridge integrated laser driver optimizes power dissipation, impedance matching, low-swing and high-swing reliability for electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) and directly modulated laser diode (DML) applications. The laser driver includes a retimer for converting low-speed parallel data to a high-speed serial bit stream and to an inverted representation of the high-speed parallel bit stream, an M-bit PMOS DAC configured to receive a first buffered bit stream, an N-bit NMOS DAC configured to receive a second buffered bit stream substantially synchronized with the first buffered bit stream. A protective device is coupled between the M-bit DAC and the N-bit DAC. A first DC level-shifting predriver array is coupled between the retimer and the M-bit DAC to receive the high-speed parallel bit stream and the inverted high-speed parallel bit stream, and a second DC level-shifting predriver array is coupled between the retimer and the N-bit DAC to receive the high-speed parallel bit stream and the inverted high-speed parallel bit stream. An impedance matching module is coupled to an output of the protective device. The laser driver may be integrated on a CMOS communication chip.

A variable gain phase shifter includes an I/Q generator and a vector summation circuit. The I/Q generator generates phase signals based on an input signal. The vector summation circuit adjusts magnitudes and directions of first, second, third and fourth in-phase vectors and first, second, third and fourth quadrature vectors, and generates an output signal by summing the in-phase vectors and the quadrature vectors, based on the phase signals, selection signals and current control signals. The vector summation circuit includes first, second, third and fourth vector summation cells and first, second, third and fourth current control circuits. The first and second vector summation cells adjust the directions of the first and second in-phase vectors and the first and second quadrature vectors. The third and fourth vector summation cells adjust the directions of the third and fourth in-phase vectors and the third and fourth quadrature vectors. The first and second current control circuits are connected to the first and second vector summation cells, and adjust an amount of a first current and an amount of a second current. The third and fourth current control circuits are connected to the third and fourth vector summation cells, and adjust an amount of a third current and an amount of a fourth current.

A variable gain phase shifter includes an I/Q generator and a vector summation circuit. The I/Q generator generates phase signals based on an input signal. The vector summation circuit adjusts magnitudes and directions of first, second, third and fourth in-phase vectors and first, second, third and fourth quadrature vectors, and generates an output signal by summing the in-phase vectors and the quadrature vectors, based on the phase signals, selection signals and current control signals. The vector summation circuit includes first, second, third and fourth vector summation cells and first, second, third and fourth current control circuits. The first and second vector summation cells adjust the directions of the first and second in-phase vectors and the first and second quadrature vectors. The third and fourth vector summation cells adjust the directions of the third and fourth in-phase vectors and the third and fourth quadrature vectors. The first and second current control circuits are connected to the first and second vector summation cells, and adjust an amount of a first current and an amount of a second current. The third and fourth current control circuits are connected to the third and fourth vector summation cells, and adjust an amount of a third current and an amount of a fourth current.

A receiver is provided that includes a plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes each of which is configured to receive an analog receive signal from an analog front-end and produce digital sub-rate receiver data. The receiver includes one or more first digital-to-analog converters (DACs) (also referred to herein as average DACs) shared across the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes, and one or more second DACs (also referred to herein as mismatch cancellation DACs) for each sub-rate receiver lane of the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes. The one or more second DACs of a respective sub-rate receiver lane provide output to be combined with an output of a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs during processing of the analog receive signal in the respective sub-rate receiver lane to account for a sub-rate receiver lane specific offset with respect to a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs.

A receiver is provided that includes a plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes each of which is configured to receive an analog receive signal from an analog front-end and produce digital sub-rate receiver data. The receiver includes one or more first digital-to-analog converters (DACs) (also referred to herein as average DACs) shared across the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes, and one or more second DACs (also referred to herein as mismatch cancellation DACs) for each sub-rate receiver lane of the plurality of sub-rate receiver lanes. The one or more second DACs of a respective sub-rate receiver lane provide output to be combined with an output of a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs during processing of the analog receive signal in the respective sub-rate receiver lane to account for a sub-rate receiver lane specific offset with respect to a corresponding one of the one or more first DACs.

A controllable temperature coefficient bias (CTCB) circuit is disclosed. The CTCB circuit can provide a bias to an amplifier. The CTCB circuit includes a variable with temperature (VWT) circuit having a reference circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit has a control output, a first current control element and a second current control element. Each current control element has a controllable resistance. One of the two current control elements may have a relatively high temperature coefficient and another a relatively low temperature coefficient. A controllable resistance of one of the current control elements increases when the controllable resistance of the other current control element decreases. However, the total resistance of the current control circuit remains constant with a constant temperature. The VWT circuit has an output with a temperature coefficient that is determined by the relative amount of current that flows through each current control element of the control circuit. A Current Digital to Analog Converter (IDAC) scales the output of the VWT and provides the scaled output to an amplifier bias input.

A controllable temperature coefficient bias (CTCB) circuit is disclosed. The CTCB circuit can provide a bias to an amplifier. The CTCB circuit includes a variable with temperature (VWT) circuit having a reference circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit has a control output, a first current control element and a second current control element. Each current control element has a controllable resistance. One of the two current control elements may have a relatively high temperature coefficient and another a relatively low temperature coefficient. A controllable resistance of one of the current control elements increases when the controllable resistance of the other current control element decreases. However, the total resistance of the current control circuit remains constant with a constant temperature. The VWT circuit has an output with a temperature coefficient that is determined by the relative amount of current that flows through each current control element of the control circuit. A Current Digital to Analog Converter (IDAC) scales the output of the VWT and provides the scaled output to an amplifier bias input.

A symmetrical layout structure of a semiconductor device is formed on a chip. The symmetrical layout structure is performed in a (2.sup.M+1)(2.sup.M+1) array and comprises 2.sup.Mr working units and r dummy unit(s). Each working unit has 2.sup.2+M sub-working units continuously connected by a closed trace and arranged along the closed trace in the array, wherein M is a positive integer, and r is zero or a positive integer. Each closed trace forms a parallelogram that is symmetrical to a diagonal path of the array. The working unit can be a current cell. According to the layout structure, all parallelograms have the same centroid, the perimeters of all parallelograms are the same, the lengths of the closed traces are the same, and the distances between all of the sub-current cells are the same. The present invention thus improves the performance of the digital-to-analog converter.

A symmetrical layout structure of a semiconductor device is formed on a chip. The symmetrical layout structure is performed in a (2.sup.M+1)(2.sup.M+1) array and comprises 2.sup.Mr working units and r dummy unit(s). Each working unit has 2.sup.2+M sub-working units continuously connected by a closed trace and arranged along the closed trace in the array, wherein M is a positive integer, and r is zero or a positive integer. Each closed trace forms a parallelogram that is symmetrical to a diagonal path of the array. The working unit can be a current cell. According to the layout structure, all parallelograms have the same centroid, the perimeters of all parallelograms are the same, the lengths of the closed traces are the same, and the distances between all of the sub-current cells are the same. The present invention thus improves the performance of the digital-to-analog converter.

An optical phased array comprising a row-column driving mechanism is disclosed that reduces the number of digital to analog converter (DAC) channels to the number of rows N and the total number of interface pin counts down to the number of columns plus the number of rows M+N. Disclosed herein are systems and architecture for thermal waveguide-based phase shifters which improve thermal efficiency by having multi-pass waveguides arranged proximate a heating element in a serpentine fashion, which enables an increase in phase shift without increasing the length or the power consumption of the heating element by increasing the total length of waveguide being heated by a singular heating element.