Chip-Scale Atomic Clocks for Digital Audio Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio routing systems face challenges in maintaining accurate clock synchronization across multiple devices, leading to buffer overflow or underflow issues and increased latency due to the need for direct clock connections and backchannel communication for resynchronization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with individual atomic clocks at both the source and destination units, eliminating the need for clock resynchronization and backchannel communication by using highly accurate, localized chip-scale atomic clocks for synchronization, allowing for real-time data transfer without timestamped data or packet arrival timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distributed clock synchronization using local clocks is used, then transmission distance and device mobility are improved, but clock synchronization accuracy deteriorates due to accumulated errors over multiple hops
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the clock synchronization function by providing each device with its own local clock rather than relying on a single common clock source. This allows devices to be distributed across the network while maintaining individual timing accuracy, resolving the contradiction between device mobility and synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the clock accuracy parameter from typical quartz crystal accuracy (10^-6 to 10^-7) to atomic clock accuracy (10^-13 to 10^-15). This parameter change enables the system to tolerate accumulated errors over multiple hops and device movements while maintaining acceptable synchronization accuracy.
2Reliability
If common timing signal is shared over long distances, then clock synchronization is achieved, but system complexity and error accumulation increase with transmission distance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the clock function from the data transmission system, giving each device its own independent clock. This eliminates the need for complex common timing signal distribution infrastructure and reduces system complexity while maintaining reliable synchronization through highly accurate local clocks.
3Quantity of substance
If standard quartz clocks are used, then device cost is reduced, but synchronization accuracy deteriorates due to temperature sensitivity and frequency drift
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the clock technology parameter from quartz crystal to atomic clock, improving timekeeping accuracy from 1 second in 10 years to 1 second in millions of years. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between cost and accuracy by providing sufficient accuracy margin that reduces overall system complexity and costs.
4Measurement precision
If clock resynchronization and backchannel communication are implemented, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but latency and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by equipping each device with a highly accurate clock before data transmission begins. This preliminary timing accuracy eliminates the need for subsequent clock resynchronization and backchannel communication, reducing latency while maintaining synchronization accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures low latency and eliminates buffer overflow/underflow conditions, enabling simultaneous, high-quality audio playback across multiple destinations without the need for large buffers or direct clock connections, while maintaining accurate synchronization.
Implementation Method 1
synchronized to an atomic clock at the source location... synchronized to an atomic clock at the destination location
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for routing digital audio data synchronized where the source and destination units are synchronized to individual, local chip-scale atomic clocks. A source unit receives audio data and digitizes the data in synchronization to a local atomic clock. The data is transmitted via a communications network to at least one destination unit that receives the network transmitted data, decodes and reconstructs the data in synchronization with its own local atomic clock, and outputs the data to an audio destination.