Binary-to-Gray Pointer Circuit for Burst FIFO Synchronization

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating intermediate binary pointer values that will produce unitary Hamming distance in their Gray encoded forms. Before performing a burst write operation that would jump multiple memory locations, the circuit computes a sequence of intermediate pointer values, each differing by exactly one bit in Gray encoding. This pre-computation ensures that even during burst mode operations, the Gray encoded pointers transition through states with Hamming distance of one, preventing synchronization errors while maintaining high productivity.

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the pointer value parameter before Gray encoding. Instead of directly Gray-encoding the target pointer value obtained from burst mode operations, the circuit transforms the pointer parameter into a sequence of intermediate values that satisfy the unitary Hamming distance requirement. This parameter transformation maintains the simplicity and area efficiency of conventional Gray encoding while achieving the precision needed for accurate pointer synchronization during burst operations.

The patent applies segmentation by dividing a single large pointer jump operation into multiple smaller incremental steps. Instead of transitioning directly from one pointer value to another distant value in burst mode, the circuit segments the transition into a sequence of intermediate pointer values. Each segment corresponds to a pointer increment that produces exactly one bit change in Gray encoding. This segmentation maintains the ease of operation by keeping each individual encoding step simple while ensuring reliability through consistent unitary Hamming distance transitions throughout the burst operation.