Electronic oscillator circuit and method for controlling oscillation frequency of ring oscillator circuit

Abstract

An electronic oscillator circuit and a method of controlling an oscillation frequency of a ring oscillator circuit. The circuit comprises a plurality of inverter stages, each inverter stage comprising an inverter and a transimpedance switching circuit configured to activate the inverter during operation of the electronic oscillator circuit, thereby enabling the inverter to generate an inverter output signal according to an inverter input signal input to the inverter; wherein the inverters in the plurality of inverter stages are connected together to form a ring oscillator circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic oscillator circuit and a method of controlling the oscillation frequency of a ring oscillator circuit, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a low power consumption ring oscillator circuit. Background Art

[0002] Oscillators or oscillator circuits are important components in electronic devices. One of the main applications of oscillators is clock generation, which can be used to generate clock signals for logic circuits, microcontrollers, and embedded devices. Oscillator circuits are also an important application area in frequency synthesis, where oscillator circuits can be used to generate high-frequency signals, which is particularly valuable in wireless communication systems that require high-frequency signals.

[0003] Oscillator circuits can be used in a variety of applications, some of which may require low power consumption, such as battery-powered devices, IoT devices, and wearable electronics. Using low-power oscillator circuits can bring significant advantages in terms of energy efficiency and power consumption optimization.

[0004] The low power consumption of oscillators is useful in battery-powered devices where power efficiency is critical. For example, by using low power oscillators for clock generation, the overall power consumption of the device can be minimized, thereby extending battery life. Also, in frequency synthesis applications, power consumption should be kept as low as possible. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic oscillator circuit, comprising: a plurality of inverter stages, each of the inverter stages comprising an inverter and a mutual resistance switch circuit configured to activate the inverter during operation of the electronic oscillator circuit, thereby enabling the inverter to generate an inverter output signal according to an inverter input signal input to the inverter; wherein the inverters in the plurality of inverter stages are connected together to form a ring oscillator circuit.

[0006] Preferably, the inter-resistance switch circuit comprises at least one pair of inter-resistance switches, wherein the inter-resistance switches are respectively connected to the VDD node and the VSS node of the inverter and the electronic oscillator circuit in the same inverter stage.

[0007] Preferably, the inverter in each of the inverter stages is enabled only when it is electrically connected to the VDD node and the VSS node in a complete circuit path formed by the transresistance switch circuit.

[0008] Preferably, the inter-resistance switch circuit includes a plurality of cascaded inter-resistance switch pairs, wherein the inter-resistance switch pairs include a first group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VDD node and a second group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VSS node.

[0009] Preferably, each of the at least one pair of transimpedance switches comprises a P-channel transistor for connecting the inverter to the VDD node, and an N-channel transistor for connecting the inverter to a VSS node.

[0010] Preferably, each of the P-channel transistor and the N-channel transistor is controlled by a transimpedance switch input signal through a diode circuit.

[0011] Preferably, the diode circuit comprises a first switch and a second switch connected in parallel, wherein each of the first switch and the second switch comprises a transistor or a diode connected in diode connection.

[0012] Preferably, each of the P-channel transistor and the N-channel transistor shares a common transimpedance switch input signal through a diode circuit.

[0013] Preferably, the electronic oscillator circuit also includes a multiplexer, which is configured to output control signals of the first group of mutual resistance switches and the second group of mutual resistance switches corresponding to the inverter output signals of the multiple inverter stages, wherein the input signal of the multiplexer is the inverter output signal of the multiple inverter stages.

[0014] Preferably, the multiplexer is a multiple-input multiple-output multiplexer.

[0015] Preferably, the control signal is further generated based on a control string group input to the multiple-input multiple-output multiplexer.

[0016] Preferably, the oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator can be tuned by modifying the control string group.

[0017] Preferably, the multiplexer is arranged to forward the inverter output signal of a predetermined stage in the ring oscillator circuit to be controlled by a plurality of pairs of cascaded transimpedance switches in one or more preceding inverter stages in the ring oscillator circuit.

[0018] Preferably, the inverter output signal of each of the inverters of the plurality of inverter stages is provided as a control signal for controlling the first and second sets of transimpedance switches in one or more previous stages in the ring oscillator circuit.

[0019] Preferably, the control signal is provided to a number of the transimpedance switch pairs in a preceding stage matching the number of the transimpedance switch pairs in each inverter stage.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the oscillation frequency of a ring oscillator circuit, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of inverter stages, each of the inverter stages comprising an inverter and a mutual resistance switch circuit, the mutual resistance switch circuit being configured to start the inverter during operation of the ring oscillator circuit; and causing the inverter to generate an inverter output signal according to an inverter input signal input to the inverter.

[0021] Preferably, the inter-resistance switch circuit comprises at least one pair of inter-resistance switches, and the inter-resistance switches are respectively connected to the VDD node and the VSS node of the inverter and the ring oscillator circuit in the same inverter stage.

[0022] Preferably, the inverter in each of the inverter stages is enabled only when it is electrically connected to the VDD node and the VSS node in a complete circuit path formed by the transresistance switch circuit.

[0023] Preferably, the inter-resistance switch circuit includes a plurality of cascaded inter-resistance switch pairs, wherein the inter-resistance switch pairs include a first group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VDD node and a second group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VSS node.

[0024] Preferably, the method also includes providing a multiplexer, which is configured to output control signals of the first group of mutual resistance switches and the second group of mutual resistance switches corresponding to the inverter output signals of the multiple inverter stages, wherein the input signal of the multiplexer is the inverter output signal of the multiple inverter stages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic oscillator circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a transimpedance switch of an inverter stage in an electronic oscillator circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a transimpedance switch of an inverter stage in an electronic oscillator circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a pair of transimpedance switches of an inverter stage in an electronic oscillator circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5is a schematic diagram showing an electronic oscillator circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the electronic oscillator circuit includes five inverter stages, each inverter stage includes two pairs of cascaded transimpedance switches; and

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic oscillator circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the electronic oscillator circuit includes five inverter stages, each inverter stage includes two pairs of cascaded mutual resistance switches, and a multiplexer is not used to control the operation of the cascaded mutual resistance switches. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The inventors believe that low-power oscillators also play a key role in sensor applications. For example, oscillators can be used to generate the required clock signals for signal processing in sensors, where power consumption is most preferably minimized to extend battery life. This is particularly important in applications where sensors are deployed in remote or inaccessible locations and batteries cannot be replaced or recharged.

[0033] In another example, in a signal processing circuit or application, the oscillator is responsible for generating clock signals for the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the digital signal processor (DSP). In this example, minimizing power consumption is critical to reducing the heat generated by the circuit. Therefore, the oscillator can be designed to meet the power consumption requirements of the signal processing circuit while ensuring efficient operation and minimizing heat dissipation.

[0034] Without wishing to be bound by theory, low power ring oscillators (ROs) may be employed due to their enhanced performance and reduced power consumption. Several electronic device manufacturing technologies have been employed in low power RO technology, such as FinFET technology, a 3D transistor technology that can be used to enhance the performance of ROs. This technology reduces leakage current, improves gate control, and allows for better power management. By implementing FinFET technology, low power ROs can achieve higher efficiency and improved overall performance.

[0035] Fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology is another advanced transistor technology suitable for low-power RO. FD-SOI technology reduces leakage current, enhances control over transistor threshold voltage, and provides better power management. By utilizing FD-SOI technology, low-power RO can achieve lower power consumption and improved operating characteristics.

[0036] Machine learning-based optimization techniques can be employed to design more efficient ROs. These techniques help optimize circuit parameters such as supply voltage, frequency, and power consumption to achieve optimal performance and minimum power consumption. By leveraging machine learning-based optimization, low-power ROs can achieve higher levels of efficiency and improved power consumption optimization.

[0037] In addition, advanced control techniques such as dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) and adaptive biasing can be used to optimize the power consumption of the RO according to the operating conditions. These techniques allow the voltage and frequency to be dynamically adjusted according to the workload, achieving reduced power consumption without affecting performance. By implementing advanced control techniques, low-power ROs can achieve optimal power efficiency in various operating scenarios.

[0038] In addition, advanced circuit synthesis tools, including automatic layout generation and topology exploration, can be used to design more efficient ROs. These tools help optimize circuit performance while minimizing power consumption. By utilizing advanced circuit synthesis tools, low-power ROs can achieve improved circuit efficiency and reduced power consumption.

[0039] The inventors believe that these advances in low-power RO technology will help develop energy-saving and power-optimized electronic devices to meet the growing demand for low power consumption in various applications. However, in deep submicron processes, ring oscillators with fewer stages have high oscillation frequencies and high power consumption. The number of stages of the ring oscillator can be increased, thereby reducing the oscillation frequency, but due to the increase in signal propagation time and delay caused by the transient response in the inverter, the power consumption may not be reduced but increased. However, in some alternative circuit topologies, either the power consumption is not very low or the circuit is very complex.

[0040] refer to Figure 1 , shows an embodiment of an electronic oscillator circuit 100, including: a plurality of inverter stages 102, each inverter stage including an inverter 104 and a trans-resistance switch circuit 106, for starting the inverter 104 during operation of the electronic oscillator circuit 100, so that the inverter 104 can generate an inverter output signal according to an input signal input to the inverter 104; wherein the inverters 104 in the plurality of inverter stages 102 are connected together to form a ring oscillator (RO) circuit.

[0041] In this embodiment, the electronic oscillator circuit 100 generally comprises a ring oscillator including a plurality of inverters 104 in a series or cascade configuration, i.e., the output of inverter 104A is connected to the input of the next connected inverter 104B, and in a ring configuration, and the output of the last inverter 104C in the series is connected to the input of the first inverter 104A. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the total number of inverter stages may be any odd number, such that the ring oscillator will provide an oscillating output at the output of the last inverter 104C in the series.

[0042] In addition, the electronic oscillator circuit 100 also includes a transimpedance switch circuit 106 formed by a plurality of electronic switches 108 (e.g., transistors) for controlling the "activation" of the inverter 104 in each inverter stage 102 in the ring oscillator to generate an output signal of the next inverter stage in response to the logic high / low state change of the input pin. For example, the multiplexer 110 can use the output signals from the inverters 104 of different levels as the input signals of the multiplexer and selectively enable or disable the transimpedance switch 108 according to the corresponding output. The operation of the multiplexer 110 will be described later in this article. Figure 5 Let's describe it further.

[0043] Continue to refer Figure 1 In this example, the oscillator circuit 100, also called a "Cross Stage Tuned Digitally Controlled Oscillator (CST DCO)", consists of cascaded trans-resistance switches (RO with cascaded trans-resistance switches / CTRS) and a multiple-input multiplexer. The power supply pins and ground pins in the inverter (from INV(1) to INV(m)) are connected to a set of cascaded trans-resistance switches (CTRS) (from SU(1,1) to SU(m,n) and from SD(1,1) to SD(m,p)).

[0044] Preferably, the trans-resistance switches (TRS) function to have a low resistance when the controlled signal is closed, like a normal switch in a normally closed state, and a high resistance, but much lower than a typical open switch (e.g., connecting its gate to a high PMOSFET or connecting its gate to a low NMOSFET) when the controlled signal switches it to a high impedance state. The multiplexer selects control signals (from U(1,1) to U(m,n) and from D(1,1) to D(m,p)) from the outputs of the inverters (from O(1) to O(m)) according to the control words CW[1:k].

[0045] During the operation of the oscillator circuit 100, the flip time of the inverter (one of INV(1) to INV(m)) in the ring oscillator is determined by its input signal and the control signal of the cascaded transimpedance switch (CTRS). The control signal of the cascaded transimpedance switch (CTRS) can adjust the oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator. The advantage is that since the configurable switch can actively control the working time period of the inverter, it has a lower oscillation frequency and lower power consumption.

[0046] In each multi-inverter stage 102 (RO with CTRS) of the cascaded transimpedance switch, the two CTRS cannot be closed at the same time by carefully selecting the control signal, and the current path from the power supply to the ground through the PMOS and NMOS of the inverter is blocked. In this way, the power consumption of this part can be avoided.

[0047] It should be noted that a transresistance switch (TRS) may function differently from a normal switch, such as a single MOSFET or other type of transistor: when closed by the controlled signal, like a normal switch in the normally closed state, the TRS has a low resistance, and when the controlled signal switches it to a high-impedance state, its resistance is higher, but much lower than a typical open switch (for example, connecting its gate to a high PMOSFET or connecting its gate to a low NMOSFET).

[0048] The inventor believes that if ordinary switches are used, the inverter can only have a specific output signal under two conditions: 1. The input signal of the inverter is logic low, and all switches connected between its VDD pin and the power supply are closed; 2. The input signal of the inverter is logic high, and all switches connected between its VSS pin and the ground are closed. Therefore, when ordinary switches are used, the output signal of the inverter will be in a high impedance state (also called a tri-state state, tri-state / three-state state) under any other conditions except the above two conditions. Therefore, using ordinary switches, the cross-stage tuned digitally controlled oscillator (CST DCO) will not be able to oscillate, so using a transimpedance switch (TRS) instead of an ordinary switch is a more preferred choice.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 Like a conventional ring oscillator, the oscillator circuit 100 has m (m is an odd number) inverters INV(1), INV(2), ..., INV(m) forming a ring configuration. The power supply pins and ground pins of the inverters (from INV(1) to INV(m)) are connected to a group / series of cascaded transimpedance switches (CTRS) (from SU(1,1) to SU(m,n) and from SD(1,1) to SD(m,p)). In this example, a multiplexer multiplexer can select control signals (from U(1,1) to U(m,n) and from D(1,1) to D(m,p)) from the outputs of the inverters (from O(1) to O(m)) according to the control string group CW[1:k].

[0050] Preferably, the inter-resistance switch circuit 102 includes at least one pair of inter-resistance switches 108, which respectively connect the inverters of the same stage to the VDD node and the VSS node of the electronic oscillation circuit 100. Figure 2 and 3 , shows an embodiment of a transimpedance switch (TRS) 1 and a transimpedance switch (TRS) 2, which can be combined into a pair of transimpedance switches 108.

[0051] Preferably, the P-channel transistor 108P and the N-channel transistor 108N are controlled by a transimpedance switch input signal through a diode circuit 108D, wherein the diode circuit 108D includes a first switch 108D-1 and a second switch 108D-2 connected in parallel, wherein the first switch 108D-1 and the second switch 108D-2 include diode-connected transistors or diodes. Figure 2 , P1-1 is a PMOS, P1-2 is a PMOS connected in a diode connection, and N1-1 is an NMOS connected in a diode connection. Alternatively, P1-2 and N1-1 may be replaced or substituted by diodes or other types of switches.

[0052] In this example, the transresistance switch (TRS) 1 can be used to Figure 1 The connection from the inverter to the power supply (through SU(1,1) to SU(m,n)) is shown in Figure 1. When the voltage at node A is logic high and the voltage at node IN is logic low, TRS1 is closed and the resistance between node A and node B is low. When the voltage at node A is logic high and during the short time when the voltage at node IN rises from logic low to logic high, TRS1 is in high impedance mode and the resistance between node A and node B is high, but still much lower than the impedance of a typical switch. In this RO application with CTRS, the voltage at node IN does not remain at a logic high level for a long time, and TRS1 is either closed or in high impedance mode, as required by the definition of TRS.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 , N2-1 is an NMOS, P2-1 is a PMOS connected in a diode connection (which may be replaced by a diode), and N2-2 is an NMOS connected in a diode connection (which may be replaced by a diode). A skilled person will appreciate that in other designs or circuit topologies, the diode circuit 108D including the first switch 108D-1 and the second switch 108D-2 connected in parallel may be implemented in different ways.

[0054] In this embodiment, the transresistance switch (TRS) 2 is suitable for Figure 1 The connection that connects the inverter to ground (through SD(1,1) to SD(m,p)) is in the figure. When the voltage at node B is logic low and the voltage at node IN is logic high, TRS2 is closed and the resistance between node A and node B is low. When the voltage at node B is logic low, and for a short period of time when the voltage at node IN drops from logic high to logic low, TRS2 is in high impedance mode and the resistance between node A and node B is high, but still much lower than the impedance of a typical switch. In this RO application with CTRS, the voltage at node IN does not remain at a logic low level for a long time, and TRS2 is either closed or in high impedance mode, as required by the definition of TRS.

[0055] In another embodiment of the TRS, reference Figure 4 , the P-channel transistor 108P and the N-channel transistor 108N (transistors in the TRS pair) can share a common transimpedance switch input signal through the diode circuit 108D. For example, the transimpedance switch (TRS) in the cascaded transimpedance switch (CTRS) connected to the power supply and the transimpedance switch (TRS) in the cascaded transimpedance switch (CTRS) connected to the ground can be combined into a transimpedance switch (TRS) pair with a common control input.

[0056] Although any two TRSs can be selected for combination, preferably two TRSs from the same level are selected, such as SU(1,1) and SD(1,1), or SU(1,1) and SD(1,p), etc. Preferably, the diode network 108D of TRS1 and TRS2, i.e., the PMOS and NMOS connected in a diode connection, are similar between the two, so a pair of TRS1 and TRS2 with the same control signal can be simplified to Figure 4 The circuit shown.

[0057] In this example, P3-1 is a PMOS, N2-1 is an NMOS, P3-2 is a diode-connected PMOS, and N3-2 is a diode-connected NMOS, where one or both of P3-2 and N3-2 can be replaced by a diode similar to the previous example. The functions of nodes IN, A1, and B1 are similar to Figure 2 The nodes IN, A, and B in TRS1 are exactly the same, and the functions of nodes IN, A2, and B2 are the same. Figure 3 The nodes IN, A, and B in TRS2 are exactly the same as described in this article.

[0058] In another example, more TRS can be combined and share the same input through a single diode circuit. For example, a single diode circuit formed by P3-2 and N3-2 can simultaneously start two (or any even number x) P-channel transistors and two (i.e., the same even number x) N-channel transistors to reduce the total number of switches included in the oscillation circuit.

[0059] refer to Figure 5 , shows an example embodiment of an electronic oscillator circuit 500, wherein the number of stages of the ring oscillator and the cascaded transresistance switch (RO with CTRS) is 5, and the number of TRS pairs in each cascaded transresistance switch (CTRS) is 2, i.e., 5 inverters are connected in a ring configuration, and each inverter stage is connected to the power supply and ground through 2 pairs of TRS. In this example, O(5) can be designated as the output of the ring oscillator or oscillator circuit 500.

[0060] In an exemplary operation, the electronic oscillation circuit 500 further includes a multiplexer 510, preferably a multiplexer of multiple input multiple output (MIMO), which is configured to output control signals of the first group of transimpedance switches and the second group of transimpedance switches corresponding to the inverter output signals of each inverter stage 502, which are provided as multiplexer input signals of the multiplexer, and which can be further generated based on the control string group input to the MIMO multiplexer. For example, each switch in the first group of switches and the second group of switches includes 2 TRS connected in series at the VDD / VSS pin of the circuit 500. The multiple input multiple output multiplexer 510 can select control signals (from U(1,1) to U(5,2) and from D(1,1) to D(5,2)) according to the output of the inverter (from O(1) to O(5)) and according to the control string CW[1:20]. Each control signal is selected from the output of the five inverters by a control word, so the oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator can be adjusted by modifying the control string.

[0061] In one example operation, the multiplexer forwards the output signals of the inverters of the predetermined stages in the ring oscillator circuit to the multiple pairs of cascaded transimpedance switches in the one or more previous inverter stages in the ring oscillator circuit. For example, when the control word group CW[1:k] is written according to the corresponding values, O(3) is selected as the control signal U(1,1), D(1,1), U(2,2), D(2,2), O(4) is selected as the control signal U(2,1), D(2,1), U(3,2), D(3,2), O(5) is selected as the control signal U(3,1), D(3,1), U(4,2), D(4,2), O(1) is selected as the control signal U(4,1), D(4,1), U(5,2), D(5,2), O(2) is selected as the control signal U(5,1), D(5,1), U(1,2), D(1,2). When other values ​​in the control word group CW[1:20] are written, such as control signals for other switches based on the inverter output signals O(1), O(2), O(3), O(4), and O(5), the control signals change, so that parameters of the CST DCO, such as frequency, can be adjusted. In some alternative embodiments, other inputs can be processed through a multiplexer to increase or decrease the oscillation frequency of the RO.

[0062] refer to Figure 6, another embodiment of an oscillator circuit 600 is shown, in which the inverter output signals of the plurality of inverter stages 602 are provided as control signals of the first group of transimpedance switches and the second group of transimpedance switches of one or more previous stages in the ring oscillator circuit. In this example, the number of stages of the ring oscillator with cascaded transimpedance switches is 5, and the number of TRSs of each cascaded transimpedance switch is 2, similar to the previous embodiment 500. It is worth noting that other numbers of inverter stages can be included in the ring oscillator circuit, as long as the number of inverters is an odd number m.

[0063] However, a multiplexer is not used with a ring oscillator having cascaded transimpedance switches, but rather a control signal is provided to the transimpedance switches of some preceding stages that matches the logarithm of the transimpedance switches in each inverter stage. The control signal is selected from the outputs of the inverters (from O(1) to O(5)), but in the absence of a multiplexer, the control signal is fixed.

[0064] For example, in Figure 2 In the example, the transresistance switch (TRS) 1 and Figure 3 The transimpedance switch (TRS) 2 in the oscillator circuit 600 is used as the transimpedance switch of each inverter stage 602, or TRS1 and TRS2 with the same sequence number (for example, SU(1,1) and SD(1,1)) are combined into a transimpedance switch pair, and then the transimpedance switch pair is further simplified as a reference Figure 4 Example circuit for

[0065] Furthermore, the number of TRSs in each cascaded transresistance switch (CTRS) is not necessarily 2, but may be other integers, depending on the delay that needs to be included to enable the associated inverter in the circuit.

[0066] The ring oscillator with cascaded transimpedance switches (RO with CTRS) has lower frequency and lower power consumption compared to its counterpart in the form of a conventional ring oscillator, which is advantageous.

[0067] The embodiments are advantageous in that a novel cross stage tuning (CST) method can be used to provide a cross stage tuned digitally controlled oscillator (CST DCO) that can be used for different frequency applications. The cross stage tuned digitally controlled oscillator (CST DCO) is composed of a ring oscillator with cascaded transimpedance switches (RO with CTRS), and the operating parameters of the CST DCO can be adjusted by precisely controlling the transimpedance switches.

[0068] Advantageously, a cross-step tuned digitally controlled oscillator (CST DCO) can significantly reduce power consumption through a novel cascaded transresistance switch (CTRS) structure and a novel cross-step tuning (CST) method to increase the propagation delay of the inverter and prevent the PMOSFET and NMOSFET of the inverter from being turned on at the same time and conducting a large current from the power supply to the ground.

[0069] Due to the low power consumption, the oscillator according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used in various battery-powered devices and low-power applications where minimizing power consumption is critical to extending battery life or reducing energy costs, such as but not limited to:

[0070] Clock generation: Low-power oscillators can be used to generate clock signals in digital circuits to provide timing and synchronization signals for microprocessors, memory devices, and other digital components.

[0071] Wireless communications: Low-power oscillators can be used in wireless communication systems, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, to generate carrier signals for transmitting data over the air.

[0072] Sensor applications: Low-power oscillators can be used in sensor circuits to provide timing signals for measuring physical phenomena such as temperature, pressure, or light; and

[0073] Power Management: Low-power oscillators can be used in power management circuits to control the operation of power switches or other components, helping to reduce power consumption and extend battery life.

[0074] Although not required, the methods and systems corresponding to the illustrated embodiments can be implemented as an application programming interface (API) or a series of libraries for use by developers, or can be included in another software application, such as a terminal or personal computer operating system or a mobile computing device operating system. In general, since program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, and data files for performing specific functions, a skilled person will understand how to distribute functions among multiple routines, objects, or components to achieve the desired functions.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in the case of a computing system implementing the methods and systems that is fully or partially implemented, any suitable computing system architecture may be used. This includes tablets, wearable devices, smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, edge computing devices, stand-alone computers, network computers, cloud-based computing devices, and dedicated hardware devices. When the terms "computing system" and "computing device" are used, these terms are intended to encompass any suitable computer hardware arrangement capable of implementing the described functions.

[0076] The method and system of the specific embodiment of the present invention as shown in the figure can be implemented as an application programming interface (API) or a series of libraries for developers to use, or can be included in another software application, such as a terminal or personal computer operating system or a mobile computing device operating system. Generally speaking, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components and data files for performing specific functions, and skilled people will understand how to distribute functions in multiple routines, objects or components to achieve the desired functions.

[0077] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and / or modifications may be made to the specific embodiments shown without departing from the spirit or scope of the broad description of the present invention. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0078] Any reference to prior art stated is not, unless otherwise stated, to be regarded as an admission that the information is common general knowledge.

Claims

1. An electronic oscillator circuit comprising: A plurality of inverter stages, each of the inverter stages comprising an inverter and a transimpedance switch circuit configured to enable the inverter during operation of the electronic oscillator circuit, thereby enabling the inverter to generate an inverter output signal based on an inverter input signal input to the inverter; wherein the inverters in the plurality of inverter stages are connected together to form a ring oscillator circuit.

2. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The transresistance switch circuit includes at least one pair of transresistance switches, and the transresistance switches are respectively connected to the VDD node and the VSS node of the inverter in the same inverter stage and the electronic oscillator circuit.

3. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 2, wherein: The inverter in each of the inverter stages is enabled only when electrically connected to the VDD node and the VSS node in a complete circuit path formed by the transresistance switch circuit.

4. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 3, wherein: The inter-resistance switch circuit includes a plurality of cascaded inter-resistance switch pairs, wherein the inter-resistance switch pairs include a first group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VDD node and a second group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VSS node.

5. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the at least one pair of transimpedance switches includes a P-channel transistor for connecting the inverter to the VDD node, and an N-channel transistor for connecting the inverter to a VSS node.

6. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 5, wherein: Each of the P-channel transistor and the N-channel transistor is controlled by a transimpedance switch input signal through a diode circuit.

7. An electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 6, wherein: The diode circuit includes a first switch and a second switch connected in parallel, wherein each of the first switch and the second switch includes a transistor or a diode connected in a diode connection.

8. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 6, wherein: Each of the P-channel transistor and the N-channel transistor shares a common transimpedance switch input signal through a diode circuit.

9. The electronic oscillator circuit of claim 4, further comprising a multiplexer configured to output control signals of the first group of transimpedance switches and the second group of transimpedance switches corresponding to the inverter output signals of the plurality of inverter stages, wherein: The input signal of the multiplexer is the inverter output signal of the plurality of inverter stages.

10. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 9, wherein: The multiplexer is a multiple-input multiple-output multiplexer.

11. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 10, wherein: The control signal is further generated based on a control string group input to the multiple-input multiple-output multiplexer.

12. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 11, wherein: The oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator is tuned by modifying the control string set.

13. An electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 12, wherein: The multiplexer is configured to forward the inverter output signal of a predetermined stage in the ring oscillator circuit to be controlled by a plurality of pairs of cascaded transimpedance switches in one or more preceding inverter stages in the ring oscillator circuit.

14. The electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 4, wherein: The inverter output signal of each of the inverters of the plurality of inverter stages is provided as a control signal for controlling the first and second sets of transimpedance switches in one or more previous stages in the ring oscillator circuit.

15. An electronic oscillator circuit according to claim 14, wherein: The control signals are provided to a number of the transimpedance switch pairs in previous stages that matches the number of the transimpedance switch pairs in each inverter stage.

16. A method for controlling the oscillation frequency of a ring oscillator circuit, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of inverter stages, each of the inverter stages comprising an inverter and a transimpedance switch circuit, the transimpedance switch circuit being configured to enable the inverter during operation of the ring oscillator circuit; as well as The inverter is caused to generate an inverter output signal according to an inverter input signal input to the inverter.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The inter-resistance switch circuit includes at least one pair of inter-resistance switches, and the inter-resistance switches are respectively connected to the VDD node and the VSS node of the inverter in the same inverter stage and the ring oscillator circuit.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The inverter in each of the inverter stages is enabled only when electrically connected to the VDD node and the VSS node in a complete circuit path formed by the transresistance switch circuit.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The inter-resistance switch circuit includes a plurality of cascaded inter-resistance switch pairs, wherein the inter-resistance switch pairs include a first group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VDD node and a second group of inter-resistance switches connected between the inverter and the VSS node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a multiplexer configured to output control signals of the first group of transimpedance switches and the second group of transimpedance switches corresponding to the inverter output signals of the plurality of inverter stages, wherein The input signal of the multiplexer is the inverter output signal of the plurality of inverter stages.

Images