Lecture 11 Digital Circuits (I)
THE INVERTER
Outline • Introduction to digital circuits
–The inverter
• NMOS inverter with resistor pull-up
Reading Assignment: Howe and Sodini; Chapter 5, Sections 5.1-5.3
16.012 Spring 2009 Lecture 11
1. Introduction to digital circuits: the inverter
In digital circuits, digitally-encoded information isrepresented by means of two distinct voltage ranges:
V
VMAX
VOH
VOL logic 0
VMIN
logic 1
undefined � region
The Static Definition
• Logic 0: VMIN � V �VOL
• Logic 1: VOH � V �VMAX
• Undefined logic value: VOL � V �VOH
Logic operations are performed using logic gates.
Simplest logic operation of all: inversion � inverter
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Ideal inverter
IN OUT
1OUT=IN 0
1
IN 0
Circuit representation and ideal transfer function:
VOUT v+
V+ VOUT=VIN
V+ + + 2
VOUTVIN
-- 0 0 V�M=V+ V+ VIN
2
Define switching point or logic threshold :
• VM � input voltage for which VOUT = VIN
– For 0 � VIN < VM � VOUT = V+
– For VM < VIN � V+ � VOUT = 0
Ideal inverter returns well defined logical outputs (0 orV+) even in the presence of considerable noise in VIN
(from voltage spikes, crosstalk, etc.)� signal is regenerated!
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“Real” inverter
• Logic 0: – VMIN � output voltage for which VIN = V+
– VOL � smallest output voltage where slope = -1
• Logic 1: – VOH � largest output voltage where slope = -1
– VMAX � output voltage for which VIN = 0
In a real inverter, valid logic levels defined as follows:
VOUT
VINV+ 0
0
slope=-1VOH
VOL VMIN
VMAXlogic 1
logic 0
transition � region
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Two other important voltages:
Define: VIL � smallest input voltage where slope = -1 VIH � highest input voltage where slope = -1
If range of output values VOL to VOH is wider than the range of input values VIL to VIH, then the inverter exhibits some noise immunity. (|Voltage gain| > 1)
Quantify this through noise margins.
V OUT
V INV + 0
0
slope=-1
V OH
V IL V IH
V OL V MIN
V MAX
range of input values�
that produce valid logic 0
range of input values�
logic 1
logic 0
undefined � region
that produce valid logic 1
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Chain of two inverters:
Define noise margins:
NMH � VOH - VIH noise margin high NML � VIL - VOL noise margin low
noise
M N
inverter M� output
inverter N� input
VOH
VOUT VIN
NMH
NMLVOL
VIH
VIL
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Simplifications for hand calculations: Logic levels and noise margins
• Assume VOL � VMIN and VOH � VMAX
• Trace tangent of transfer function at VM
– Slope = small signal voltage gain (Av) at VM
• VIL � intersection of tangent with VOUT = VMAX
• VIH � intersection of tangent with VOUT = VMIN
It is hard to compute points in transfer function with slope = -1.
Approximate in the following way:
VOUT
VIHVIL VM
VM
VINV+ 0
0
VOL=VMIN
VOH=VMAX
VOUT=VIN
slope= Av
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Transient Characteristics
Inverter switching in the time domain:
tR � rise time between 10% and 90% of total swing tF � fall time between 90% and 10% of total swing tPHL � propagation delay from high-to-low between
50% points tPLH � propagation delay from low-to-high between
50% points
VOL
90%
50%
10%
tPHL tPLH VOH
tR
tCYCLE
50%
90%
10%
0 t
VIN
VOUT
0 t
tR tF
VOH
VOL
tF
Propagation delay: tP = 1
2 tPHL + tPLH ( )
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Simplifications for hand calculations: Propagation delay
• Consider input waveform is an ideal square wave
• Propagation delay times = delay times to 50% point
• SPICE essential for accurate delay analysis
VOH
VOH
VOL
VIN
VOUT tPHL tPLH
VOH
VOL
50%
t
t
tCYCLE
tCYCLE
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2. NMOS inverter with “pull-up” resistor
• VBS = 0 (typically not shown)
• CL summarizes capacitive loading of the following stages (other logic gates, interconnect lines, etc.)
• If VIN < VT, MOSFET is OFF – � VOUT = VDD
• If VIN > VT, MOSFET is ON – � VOUT small
– Value set by resistor / nMOS divider
Basic Operation:
Essential features:
VIN
VOUT
V+ =VDD
IR
ID CL
R
load capacitance (from following� stages)
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Transfer function obtained by solving:
IR = ID
Can solve graphically: I–V characteristics of load:
VIN
VR
VOUT
VDD
IR
ID
R
+
-
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Overlap I–V characteristics of resistor pull-up on I–V characteristics of transistor:
Transfer function:
VDS
VGS=VDD
VGS=VIN
VGS=VT
0 0
IR=ID
VDD
VDD
R
load line
VOUT=VDS
VIN=VGS 0
0
�
VDDVT
VDD
=VOUT
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For VMAX, transistor is cut-off, ID = 0:
VMAX = VDD
For VMIN, transistor is in linear regime; solve:
ID = W
L μnCox VDD �
VMIN
2 � VT
� �
� � VMIN = IR =
VDD � VMIN
R
I D = W
2L μnCox VM � VT( )2
= I R = VDD � VM
R
For VM, transistor is in saturation; solve:
Logic levels:
VOUT=VDS
VOUT=VIN
VIN=VGS 0
0
�
VDDVT VM
VM
VMAX=VDD
VMIN
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Small signal equivalent circuit model at VM
(transistor in saturation):
Av = vout vin
= �gm ro //R( ) � �gmR
Noise Margins: VOUT=VDS
VOUT=VIN
VIN=VGS 0
0
�
VDDVT
VMAX=VDD
VMIN
Av
G
S
D +
-
vin
+
-
vgs
+
-
voutgmvgs ro
R
+
-
vin
+
-
voutgmvin (ro//R)
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What did we learn today?
Summary of Key Concepts
• Logic circuits must exhibit immunity to noise in the input signal – Noise margins
• Logic circuits must be regenerative – Able to restore clean logic values even if input is
noisy.
• Propagation delay: time for logic gate to perform its function.
• Concept of load line: graphical technique to visualize transfer characteristics of inverter.
• First-order solution (by hand) of inverter figures-of-merit easy if regions of operation of transistor are correctly identified.
• For more accurate solutions, use SPICE (or other CAD tool).
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