LVDS driver for 400 Mbps point-to-point links
The DS90LV047ATM/NOPB is a quad LVDS driver from Texas Instruments, delivering 400 Mbps per channel over a single differential pair. With four drivers and no receivers on-chip, it is a pure transmit-side device for unidirectional links — think display interfaces, backplane clock distribution, or serial data from a camera module to a processor.
At 400 Mbps the driver output transitions in under 1.5 ns typical. The differential swing is 350 mV into a 100 Ω termination, keeping EMI low and allowing cable runs of several metres over twisted-pair or controlled-impedance PCB traces. The 4/0 channel count means you get four independent transmit lanes in one 16-SOIC package — useful when routing separate data, clock, and control signals across a backplane. Supply current scales linearly with the number of active channels and the toggle rate. At 400 Mbps with all four channels switching, the device draws roughly 50 mA from the 3.3 V rail — about 165 mW total dissipation, well within the SOIC-16 thermal budget even in still air.
The 1.27 mm pitch is layout-friendly — two-layer boards route the differential pairs without via stubs if the traces stay on the top layer and the ground plane is uninterrupted beneath. The tube packaging is typical for prototype and low-volume builds. For reflow assembly, ensure the moisture sensitivity level (MSL) rating is observed — TI typically rates SOIC packages MSL-1 or MSL-3, so a bake cycle may be needed if the seal is broken and the floor life is exceeded.