Asynchronous Arbiter Circuit for Non-Persistent Signal Sanitization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional arbiters are not suitable for processing non-persistent signals, such as those generated by analog circuitry, due to their restrictive nature and inability to handle signals with hazards like glitches and jitters, which can lead to interference and inefficiencies in signal arbitration.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of asynchronous circuits and a mutual exclusive (MUTEX) circuit to sanitize non-persistent signals, combined with a control circuit to manage the operation mode of these circuits based on grant status and signal persistence, allows for effective arbitration of both persistent and non-persistent signals, reducing latency and improving scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional arbiters are used to process non-persistent signals, then the arbitration can be performed with simple circuit structure, but the arbitration reliability deteriorates due to inability to handle hazards like glitches and jitters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component called a 'sanitizer' circuit that processes non-persistent signals before they reach the arbiter. This sanitizer removes hazards (glitches and jitters) from the signals, allowing the arbiter to make reliable arbitration decisions without being directly exposed to the problematic non-persistent signal characteristics. The sanitizer acts as a buffer between the noisy signal source and the decision-making arbiter.
Solution Approach 2:
The arbitration system is divided into separate functional modules: signal sources generating non-persistent signals, sanitizer circuits that process individual signals to remove hazards, and the arbiter that receives sanitized signals. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the sanitizer handles signal conditioning while the arbiter focuses on decision-making.
2Loss of time
If non-persistent signals are directly arbitrated without sanitization, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of time increases due to interference and hazards in signal processing
Solution Approach 1:
The sanitizer circuits perform preliminary processing of non-persistent signals before arbitration occurs. By removing hazards and stabilizing signals in advance, the arbitration process can proceed more quickly and reliably without needing to handle signal anomalies during the critical decision-making phase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional arbiters process non-persistent signals, then the adaptability is limited to specific signal types, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase due to sensitivity to signal hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The sanitizer circuit design provides a universal solution that can handle various types of non-persistent signals from different sources (analog circuits, digital circuits, etc.). The same sanitizer architecture can process different signal types by adjusting parameters, making the overall arbitration system adaptable to multiple signal sources without requiring source-specific custom designs.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and devices for signal arbitration are described. A first asynchronous circuit can receive and sanitize a first non-persistent signal representing a first request to generate a first persistent signal. A second asynchronous circuit can receive and sanitize a second non-persistent signal representing a second request to generate a second persistent signal. A mutual exclusive circuit can arbitrate between the first persistent signal and the second persistent signal and output a grant signal to issue a grant. A control circuit can control an operation mode of the first and second asynchronous circuits based on a control signal, a first grant signal indicating a grant status of the first request, a second grant signal indicating a grant status of the second request, the first persistent signal and the second persistent signal.