A/D Converter FIFO Pointer Control for Interrupted Scan Groups
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed A/D conversion processing is hindered by interruptions in analog/digital conversion, leading to residual data in FIFO memories, which requires time to delete and affects overall processing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An A/D conversion control circuit with a scan group control unit and FIFO unit, including pointer control units that manage write and read pointers based on priority, allowing for timely clearing or changing of pointer positions during start, interruption, and restart of scan groups, ensuring high-speed processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If analog/digital conversion processing is performed for each scan group with priority-based interruption, then processing priority and responsiveness are improved, but residual data remains in FIFO memories causing processing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by clearing the FIFO memory of residual data immediately at the moment of scan group interruption or restart, rather than delaying the clearing operation. The pointer control unit detects interruption signals and automatically clears the FIFO memory at this critical moment, preventing residual data from blocking subsequent high-priority conversions. This preliminary clearing action eliminates the time loss that would otherwise be required to delete residual data after conversion completion.
2Productivity
If multiple scan groups with different priorities are processed simultaneously, then processing efficiency and throughput are improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the FIFO memory into multiple independent memory regions, with each region corresponding to a specific scan group. Each scan group has its dedicated FIFO memory space, allowing independent management of data pointers and clearing operations. This segmentation simplifies the arbitration logic because each scan group's data can be managed independently without complex interleaving or data mixing, thereby maintaining high processing throughput while reducing data management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pointer control unit as an intermediary component that mediates between the scan group control unit and the FIFO memory. This intermediary automatically manages pointer positions and triggers FIFO clearing operations based on interruption signals, eliminating the need for complex software-based data management. The pointer control unit simplifies the overall system by handling the complexity of multi-scan group coordination through automated hardware control.
Data Source
AI summary
An A/D conversion control circuit includes a scan group control unit and a FIFO unit. The scan group control unit includes an input reception unit and an arbitration unit. The FIFO unit includes a plurality of pointer control units provided correspondingly to the plurality of FIFO memories, respectively. Each of the pointer control units clears or changes a position of a write pointer/read pointer of the corresponding FIFO memory at the timing of at least any of the start, interruption, and/or restart of the corresponding scan group according to the priority of the scan group.