We want to redrive an SLVS-EC signal (Sony protocol, LVDS variant) at 4.75GBps, which does not have any detection capabilities like LFPS. We already have an I2C backchannel over the cable so receiver detection is not necessary. We have 2 of these drivers on one board (both TX) but may expand to 4 in the future (all TX).
The output amplitude of the SLVS driver is 200 mVp-p minimum. It is DC balanced (8b/10b) so we could AC couple it to avoid a different common mode voltage on the redriver input.
The products we are looking at is TUSB544 (4 channel)
Q1:
Can this device be used with non-USB protocols? Specifically, the receiver and input signal detection (LFPS) may be an issue for us, as LFPS is not supported by SLVS. The amplitude is also lower than USB standard. The redrivers should ideally always be active regardless of input/output electrical conditions, unless manually disabled.
The “Custom Alternate Mode” seems interesting for this purpose.
Q2:
Is this redriver sensitive to the exact clock rate of the signal? Can we use a 4.75 Gbps link (2.375 GHz clock) without any issue with redrivers specified for 5 Gbps?
Q3:
Do you have any other products/redrivers that you would suggest for this application?
e.g. DS100BR410 or DS64BR111
