Vehicle gauge level dynamic equalization SerDes system and working method

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle-gauge-level dynamic equalization SerDes system and a working method, and belongs to the technical field of high-speed serial communication, and the method is characterized in that the system comprises an environment feedback module which collects temperature, cable impedance and common-mode noise data in real time; the dynamic equalizer is used for adjusting parameters of the pre-emphasis, the continuous time linear equalizer and the decision feedback equalizer based on the data acquired by the environment feedback module; the link health monitoring unit is used for counting the bit error rate through a hardware counter and triggering a self-repairing process; and the repair controller is used for executing a self-repair process which comprises redundant channel switching, transmission rate degradation and link retraining operation. According to the invention, the hardware-level environment adaptive equalization and millisecond-level self-healing capability of the SerDes link can be realized, and meanwhile, the redundancy design cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-speed serial communication technology, and in particular to an automotive-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] SerDes (serializer / deserializer) is an integrated circuit technology for high-speed data transmission. Its main function is to convert low-speed parallel signals into high-speed serial signals and then restore the serial signals to parallel signals at the receiving end. It is widely used in high-speed serial links, solving problems related to timing, noise, and distance. The core of SerDes technology lies in its ability to effectively improve data transmission rates, and it is commonly used in fiber optic communication and high-speed networks. Automotive smart cockpits, especially modules with high-speed data transmission scenarios such as in-vehicle cameras, displays, and sensors, require the use of SerDes systems.

[0003] However, existing automotive SerDes systems have the following problems: Traditional SerDes uses fixed equalization parameters, which cannot dynamically compensate for signal attenuation and noise caused by temperature (-40°C-125°C), cable length (1m-10m+), and electromagnetic interference (EMI), resulting in poor environmental adaptability; Link failures (such as a sudden increase in bit error rate) rely on software layer processing, resulting in high response latency (milliseconds), which may lead to the loss of critical data (such as interruption of autonomous driving cameras), resulting in insufficient reliability; Existing redundancy switching schemes require additional hardware costs, and the switching time is difficult to meet automotive-grade real-time requirements (<100μs), making redundancy design complex. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes an automotive-grade dynamic balancing SerDes system and its working method.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes system, the system comprising:

[0006] The environmental feedback module collects temperature, cable impedance, and common-mode noise data in real time.

[0007] The dynamic equalizer adjusts the parameters of the pre-emphasis, continuous-time linear equalizer, and decision feedback equalizer based on the data collected by the environmental feedback module.

[0008] The link health monitoring unit uses a hardware counter to count the bit error rate and trigger a self-repair process.

[0009] The self-healing controller executes a self-healing process, including redundant channel switching, transmission rate degradation, and link retraining.

[0010] Furthermore, the environmental feedback module includes a temperature sensor for acquiring temperature data, a cable impedance detection unit for detecting cable impedance data, and a common-mode noise monitoring circuit for monitoring common-mode noise.

[0011] Furthermore, the temperature sensor is integrated into the SerDes transceiver chip, and uses a proportional-absolute temperature circuit to output a voltage proportional to the absolute temperature. This voltage is then converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter and transmitted to the digital control logic circuit, achieving an accuracy of ±1℃.

[0012] Furthermore, the cable impedance detection unit is based on the time-domain reflection principle. It sends a pulse signal to the cable through a pulse transmitter, detects the reflected waveform through a reflected wave detection circuit, and then calculates the cable length and impedance change.

[0013] Furthermore, the common-mode noise monitoring circuit uses a differential probe to sample the common-mode voltage in real time, and after bandpass filtering, it is input into the fast Fourier transform module to output the interference frequency band through FFT analysis.

[0014] Furthermore, the dynamic equalizer includes a programmable pre-emphasis circuit with gain adjustment, an adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer with dynamic frequency adjustment, and a decision feedback equalizer tap control circuit with tap control.

[0015] Furthermore, the programmable pre-emphasis circuit receives the input signal, outputs it after passing through a variable gain amplifier, and supports 0-12dB gain adjustment in 0.5dB steps to compensate for high-frequency attenuation.

[0016] Furthermore, the adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer adjusts the capacitance value of the RC network through an analog-to-digital converter to achieve a dynamic adjustment range of the cutoff frequency from 50MHz to 5GHz.

[0017] Furthermore, the decision feedback equalizer tap control circuit supports 3-5 taps with 8-bit coefficient accuracy.

[0018] Furthermore, the link health monitoring unit includes a bit rate monitoring circuit, which integrates a hardware counter to count the number of bit errors within each 1ms window, and the threshold is configurable.

[0019] Furthermore, the self-healing controller performs redundant channel switching operations through a redundant channel switching module. The redundant channel switching module uses a high-speed multiplexer with a switching time of <1μs and supports dual SerDes channel hot backup.

[0020] Furthermore, the self-healing controller performs a transmission rate degradation operation through the degradation mode controller. When both the primary and backup channels fail, it triggers rate degradation and enables the enhanced equalization mode.

[0021] Furthermore, the self-healing controller directly controls the SerDes transceiver through a hardware state machine, skipping the software handshake and only performing physical layer parameter resets.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for operating the automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes system as described above, the method comprising the following steps:

[0023] After the S100 automotive-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system is powered on, the environmental feedback module collects temperature, cable impedance and noise data in real time.

[0024] S200: The dynamic equalizer initializes the equalization parameters by looking up a table based on the data collected by the environmental feedback module, and monitors the bit error rate through the link health monitoring unit.

[0025] S300 If the link health monitoring unit detects that the bit error rate exceeds the threshold, the self-healing controller executes the self-healing process, including switching to the backup SerDes channel, triggering the rate degradation and equalization enhancement mode, starting link retraining and resetting transceiver parameters.

[0026] Furthermore, the self-healing process is as follows: if the backup SerDes channel is available, switch to the backup SerDes channel; if the backup SerDes channel is unavailable, trigger the rate degradation and equalization enhancement mode or start link retraining and reset transceiver parameters.

[0027] Furthermore, the method includes the following steps: S400, fault events are recorded to non-volatile memory for diagnostic analysis.

[0028] The automotive-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system and its operating method provided by this invention collect temperature, cable impedance, and noise data in real time through an environmental feedback module, driving the dynamic equalizer's parameters to adaptively adjust, and achieving microsecond-level self-repair based on hardware-level link health monitoring. This system significantly improves the reliability and environmental adaptability of in-vehicle high-speed communication links, and is suitable for L3+ autonomous driving and smart cockpit scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a circuit block diagram of an environmental feedback module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 A block diagram of a dynamic equalizer circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4A flowchart illustrating an automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the self-healing process provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present invention to aid understanding. These should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0035] Where there is no conflict, the various embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof may be combined with each other.

[0036] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated entries.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “made of” are used in this specification, the presence of the stated feature, integral, step, operation, element, and / or component is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof is not excluded. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0038] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the invention, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly so defined herein.

[0039] This invention provides an automotive-grade dynamic balancing SerDes system. Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes system, which includes:

[0040] The environmental feedback module collects temperature, cable impedance, and common-mode noise data in real time.

[0041] The dynamic equalizer adjusts the parameters of the pre-emphasis, continuous-time linear equalizer (CTLE), and decision feedback equalizer (DFE) based on the data collected by the environmental feedback module.

[0042] The link health monitoring unit uses a hardware counter to count the bit error rate and trigger a self-repair process.

[0043] The self-healing controller executes a self-healing process, including redundant channel switching, transmission rate degradation, and link retraining.

[0044] Specifically, Figure 2 The present invention provides an environmental feedback module circuit block diagram. The environmental feedback module includes a temperature sensor for collecting temperature data, a cable impedance detection unit for detecting cable impedance data, and a common-mode noise monitoring circuit for monitoring common-mode noise.

[0045] In one embodiment, the temperature sensor is integrated within the SerDes transceiver chip. It employs a proportional-to-absolute temperature (PTAT) circuit to output a voltage proportional to the absolute temperature. This voltage is then converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and transmitted to the digital control logic circuit, achieving an accuracy of ±1°C. Preferably, the PTAT circuit uses a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) structure.

[0046] In one embodiment, the cable impedance detection unit is based on the time domain reflection (TDR) principle. It sends a pulse signal to the cable through a pulse transmitter, detects the reflected waveform through a reflected wave detection circuit, and then calculates the cable length and impedance change.

[0047] In one embodiment, the common-mode noise monitoring circuit uses a differential probe to sample the common-mode voltage in real time, which is then filtered by a bandpass filter and input to a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module. The FFT analysis outputs the interference frequency band (e.g., 100MHz-1GHz). Preferably, the differential probe is model AD8479 and the FFT module is model ADL5380.

[0048] Specifically, Figure 3 The circuit block diagram of the dynamic equalizer provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes a programmable pre-emphasis circuit that can adjust the gain, an adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer (CTLE) that can dynamically adjust the frequency, and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) tap control circuit that can control the taps.

[0049] In one embodiment, the programmable pre-emphasis circuit receives the input signal, outputs it after passing through a variable gain amplifier, and supports 0-12dB gain adjustment in 0.5dB steps (4-bit control word) to compensate for high-frequency attenuation.

[0050] In one embodiment, the adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer adjusts the capacitance value of the RC network via an analog-to-digital converter (DAC) to achieve a dynamic adjustment range of the cutoff frequency from 50MHz to 5GHz. Preferably, the analog-to-digital converter is an AD5621.

[0051] In one embodiment, the decision feedback equalizer tap control circuit supports 3-5 taps (configurable) with 8-bit coefficient precision.

[0052] In one embodiment, the link health monitoring unit includes a bit rate (BER) monitoring circuit and integrates a hardware counter to count the number of bit errors within each 1ms window. The threshold is configurable. The default threshold is 1E-10.

[0053] In one embodiment, the self-healing controller performs redundant channel switching operations through a redundant channel switching module. The redundant channel switching module adopts a high-speed multiplexer (MUX), with a switching time of <1μs and supports hot backup of dual SerDes channels.

[0054] In one embodiment, the self-healing controller performs a transmission rate degradation operation through a degradation mode controller. When both the primary and backup channels fail, it triggers a rate degradation (e.g., 10Gbps → 5Gbps) and enables an enhanced equalization mode.

[0055] In one embodiment, the self-healing controller directly controls the SerDes transceiver (such as the Maxim MAX9286) via a hardware state machine, skipping the software handshake and only performing physical layer parameter resets (such as adjusting the PLL lock range). Preferably, the SerDes transceiver is the Maxim MAX9286.

[0056] This invention utilizes an environmental feedback module to collect real-time temperature, cable impedance, and noise data, driving adaptive parameter adjustments in a dynamic equalizer. It also achieves microsecond-level self-repair based on hardware-level link health monitoring. This system significantly improves the reliability and environmental adaptability of in-vehicle high-speed communication links, making it suitable for L3+ autonomous driving and smart cockpit scenarios.

[0057] The present invention also provides a working method for the automotive-grade dynamic balancing SerDes system as described above. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an automotive-grade dynamic equilibrium SerDes method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes the following steps:

[0058] After the S100 automotive-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system is powered on, the environmental feedback module collects temperature, cable impedance and noise data in real time.

[0059] S200: The dynamic equalizer initializes the equalization parameters by looking up a table (LUT) based on the data collected by the environmental feedback module, and monitors the bit error rate through the link health monitoring unit.

[0060] S300 If the link health monitoring unit detects that the bit error rate exceeds the threshold, the self-healing controller executes the self-healing process, including switching to the backup SerDes channel, triggering the rate degradation and equalization enhancement mode, starting link retraining and resetting transceiver parameters.

[0061] In one embodiment, Figure 5 The diagram below illustrates the self-healing process provided in this embodiment of the invention. The self-healing process is as follows: if the backup SerDes channel is available, switch to the backup SerDes channel; if the backup SerDes channel is unavailable, trigger the rate degradation and equalization enhancement mode or start link retraining and reset the transceiver parameters.

[0062] In one embodiment, the method includes the following steps: S400, recording the fault event to a non-volatile memory (NVM) for diagnostic analysis.

[0063] The implementation of adaptive environmental balancing is illustrated below through exemplary embodiments:

[0064] Scenario (1): When the ambient temperature rises from 25°C to 85°C and the cable resistance increases by 20%, the proportional absolute temperature (PTAT) circuit detects the temperature change and outputs a digital signal (8-bit ADC, accuracy ±1°C). Referring to Table 1, the equalization parameters for the corresponding temperature range are selected by looking up the table (LUT): pre-emphasis gain: 6dB→9dB, CTLE cutoff frequency: 2GHz→1.5GHz, DFE tap number 3→5. The dynamic equalizer completes parameter switching within 10ns through a hardware state machine.

[0065] Table 1 Temperature-Equilibrium Parameter Mapping Table

[0066]

[0067] Scenario (2): When the TDR detects that the cable length has increased from 3m to 8m and the impedance has decreased from 100Ω to 85Ω:

[0068] The dynamic equalizer is enabled in long-distance mode, and the number of DFE taps is increased from 3 to 5 to enhance the high-frequency signal recovery capability.

[0069] The implementation of link self-healing is illustrated below through exemplary embodiments:

[0070] 1. Fault detection: The BER monitoring unit detected a bit error rate exceeding 1E-9 (lasting 1ms).

[0071] 2. Channel Switching: The self-healing controller switches to the backup SerDes channel within 2μs. The timing of redundant channel switching is shown in Table 2. The hardware implementation is as follows: an ADG1636 high-speed multiplexer is used, with a switching time of 1.5μs; the control signal is generated by an FPGA (such as a Xilinx Artix-7), with a logic delay of <10ns.

[0072] Table 2 Redundant Channel Switching Timing Table

[0073]

[0074] 3. Degradation mode: If the backup channel is unavailable, the transmission rate will be reduced from 10Gbps to 5Gbps, and the CTLE cutoff frequency will be extended to 2.5GHz.

[0075] 4. Link retraining protocol optimization: The hardware state machine directly controls the SerDes transceiver (e.g., MaximMAX9286); software handshake is skipped, and only physical layer parameter resets are performed (e.g., adjusting the PLL locking range). Compared to the traditional CPU-dependent retraining method with a retraining time >100ms, this embodiment reduces the retraining time to <10ms.

[0076] The embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0077] Environmental adaptability: Within the temperature range of -40°C to 125°C, the SerDes bit error rate remains stable below 1E-12 (traditional solutions > 1E-9);

[0078] Self-healing speed: Channel switching time <2μs, link recovery time <10ms (traditional solution >100ms);

[0079] Cost advantage: Hardware costs are reduced by 40% through single-chip integration.

[0080] Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and while specific terminology has been used, it is for illustrative purposes only and should be construed as such, and is not intended to be limiting. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with particular embodiments may be used alone, or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A car-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system, characterized in that, The system comprises: An environmental feedback module that collects temperature, cable impedance and common mode noise data in real time; A dynamic equalizer that adjusts pre-emphasis, continuous-time linear equalizer and decision feedback equalizer parameters based on the data collected by the environmental feedback module; A link health monitoring unit that counts the bit error rate through a hardware counter and triggers a self-repair process; A self-repair controller that executes the self-repair process, including redundant channel switching, transmission rate degradation and link retraining operations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The environmental feedback module comprises a temperature sensor for collecting temperature data, a cable impedance detection unit for detecting cable impedance data and a common mode noise monitoring circuit for monitoring common mode noise.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, The temperature sensor is integrated in the SerDes transceiver chip, adopts a proportional absolute temperature circuit to output a voltage proportional to the absolute temperature, and then converts the voltage into a digital signal through an analog-to-digital converter and transmits it to a digital control logic circuit. The accuracy can reach ±1℃.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein, The cable impedance detection unit sends pulse signals to the cable through a pulse transmitter based on the time domain reflection principle, detects the reflected waveform through a reflected wave detection circuit, and then calculates the cable length and impedance change.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein, The common mode noise monitoring circuit uses a differential probe to sample the common mode voltage in real time, inputs the band-pass filtered signal into a fast Fourier transform module, and outputs the interference frequency band through FFT analysis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, The dynamic equalizer comprises a programmable pre-emphasis circuit that can adjust the gain, an adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer that can dynamically adjust the frequency, and a decision feedback equalizer tap control circuit that can control the taps.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, The programmable pre-emphasis circuit receives an input signal and outputs it after being amplified by a variable gain amplifier; it supports 0-12dB gain adjustment with a step of 0.5dB to compensate for high-frequency attenuation.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein, The adaptive continuous-time linear equalizer adjusts the capacitance value of the RC network through an analog-to-digital converter to achieve a dynamic adjustment range of 50MHz-5GHz cutoff frequency.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein, The decision feedback equalizer tap control circuit supports 3-5 taps with a coefficient accuracy of 8 bits.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, The link health monitoring unit includes a bit error rate monitoring circuit integrated with a hardware counter to count the number of bit errors in each 1ms window, and the threshold is configurable.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein, The self-repair controller performs redundant channel switching operations through a redundant channel switching module, which uses a high-speed multiplexer with a switching time of <1μs and supports dual SerDes channel hot backup.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein, The self-repair controller performs transmission rate degradation operations through a degradation mode controller, which triggers rate degradation and enables enhanced equalization mode when both the primary and backup channels fail.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein, The self-repair controller directly controls the SerDes transceiver through a hardware state machine, skipping software handshake and only performing physical layer parameter reset.

14. A method of operating a car-grade dynamic-equalization SerDes system as claimed in any of claims 1-13, characterized by, The working method comprises the following steps: S100, after the vehicle-grade dynamic equalization SerDes system is powered on, the environmental feedback module collects temperature, cable impedance and noise data in real time; S200, the dynamic equalizer initializes the equalization parameters according to the data collected by the environmental feedback module, and monitors the bit error rate through the link health monitoring unit; S300, if the link health monitoring unit monitors that the error code rate exceeds the threshold value, the self-repair controller executes a self-repair process, including switching to a backup SerDes channel, triggering a rate reduction and equalization enhancement mode, starting a link retraining and resetting transceiver parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The self-repair process is: if the backup SerDes channel is available, switch to the backup SerDes channel; if the backup SerDes channel is not available, trigger the rate reduction and equalization enhancement mode or start the link retraining and reset the transceiver parameters.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, The method comprises the following steps: S400, record the fault event to the non-volatile memory for diagnostic analysis.

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