An Energy-Efficient CMOS Line Driver Using Adiabatic Switching

Abstract

We describe a custom CMOS line driver chip and a resonant power supply that can switch eight 100 pF loads at 1 MHz six times more efficiently than a conventional (CV^2) CMOS solution. We describe the adiabatic charging principle used, which allows a digital circuit designer to directly trade off switching time for increased energy efficiency. Emphasis is placed on evaluating the dissipation overhead for the whole system including the power supply. Measurements confirm the predicted dissipation decrease.