Bidirectional I/O Block Tri-State Control for Lower FPGA Receiver Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits (ICs), particularly Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), face significant power consumption issues due to active receivers in bidirectional input/output blocks (IOBs) even when they are in an idle or 'off bus' state, leading to unnecessary power usage during sending modes or idle intervals.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of tri-state input buffers and programmable termination impedance circuits in IOBs, which are deactivated during send modes and activated during receive modes, reducing power consumption by transitioning between tri-state and operative conditions based on control signaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If receivers in bidirectional IOBs are kept active during idle or off-bus states, then the device is ready to receive data immediately, but power consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The input buffer is made dynamically controllable through a tri-state enable signal that switches between active and high-impedance states. This dynamic control allows the buffer to be active only when needed (during receive modes) and inactive during send modes or idle intervals, resolving the contradiction between readiness and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical state of the input buffer is changed by transitioning between tri-state (high-impedance) and active conditions. By changing the operational parameter (enable/disable state) based on mode signals, the system achieves both low power consumption during idle/send states and immediate readiness during receive states
2Use of energy by moving object
If input buffers are deactivated during send modes to reduce power consumption, then power usage decreases, but the device cannot simultaneously receive data
Solution Approach 1:
The input buffer operates in periodic cycles, being activated during receive modes and deactivated during send modes. This periodic switching based on communication direction allows the system to maintain bidirectional capability while minimizing power consumption by keeping the buffer inactive during send operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the input buffer state based on real-time communication mode requirements. The tri-state control mechanism enables seamless transition between active and inactive states, maintaining adaptability for bidirectional communication while optimizing power consumption according to the current operational mode
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of a method for operation of an input/output block is disclosed. For this embodiment of the method, a first attribute is set for a first disable signal for an input driver. A first tri-state condition is removed from an output driver. In response to the removing of the first tri-state condition, the input driver is placed in a second tri-state condition.