Brown-out Detection via Segmented Voltage Exit Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing low-voltage detectors face challenges in accurately distinguishing between potential and real brown-out conditions due to production tolerances and aging effects, leading to unnecessary resets and potential system failures.
Innovation Solution
A low-voltage exit detector and error detector system that uses a voltage rise detector and error detection method with a comparator to differentiate between non-low-voltage and low-voltage conditions, generating trigger signals only when a real brown-out condition is detected, thereby reducing false triggers and improving system reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conservative trigger point is chosen for the low-voltage detector to account for production tolerances, measurement tolerances, and aging effects, then the reliability of detecting potential brown-out conditions is improved, but the number of false triggers increases causing unnecessary resets
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is divided into two independent stages: a first low-voltage detector that triggers on potential brown-out conditions, and a second low-voltage exit detector that confirms real brown-out conditions. This segmentation allows the first detector to use a conservative trigger point for high reliability while the second detector filters out false triggers before system reset occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-voltage exit detector acts as an intermediary between the first low-voltage detector and the system reset mechanism. It receives the trigger signal from the first detector and conditions the reset based on whether a real brown-out condition exists, thereby mediating between conservative detection and false trigger prevention.
2Reliability
If the low-voltage detector triggers a reset before any possibility of brown-out effect can be expected, then system safety is improved, but system availability decreases due to unnecessary resets
Solution Approach 1:
The reset control is segmented into two independent detection stages. The first detector ensures safety by triggering on potential brown-out conditions, while the second detector ensures availability by filtering out false triggers. Only when both detectors confirm a real brown-out condition does the system reset occur, thereby maintaining both safety and availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-voltage exit detector performs a preliminary verification action before the system reset is executed. By checking whether a real brown-out condition exists before committing to reset, the system avoids unnecessary resets and maintains higher availability while still ensuring safety through the two-stage detection process.
3Reliability
If a single low-voltage detector is used with a conservative trigger point, then detection coverage is improved, but measurement precision decreases due to tolerance accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage detection function is segmented into two independent detectors, each with its own trigger point and tolerance characteristics. The first detector uses a conservative trigger point for comprehensive coverage, while the second detector provides precise verification. This segmentation distributes the tolerance burden across two independent measurements rather than accumulating tolerances in a single detector.
Solution Approach 2:
The second low-voltage exit detector provides feedback verification of the first detector's trigger signal. By monitoring whether the brown-out condition truly exists before allowing reset, the system refines the effective measurement precision through feedback-based validation, reducing the impact of tolerance accumulation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A low-voltage exit detector (100) comprises a low-voltage detector (24) and a voltage rise detector (50) for detecting a change from a low-voltage condition of a watched voltage to a non- low-voltage condition of the watched voltage. An error detector (200) for detecting storage errors comprises: a low-voltage exit detector (100) as described above, first (255a) and second (255b) loaders for loading (510a, 510b) an loading information (248'a, 248'b) into first (244a) and second (244b) storage elements, wherein the loading information (248'a, 248'b) is coded using first and second coding schemes; first (270a) and second (270b) retrievers for retrieving stored information (248"a, 248"b) stored in the first (244a) and the second (244b) storage elements and decoding this information (248"'a, 248"'b); and a second comparator (275) for comparing a combination of a first retrieved information (248"'a) retrieved using the first retriever (270a) and a second retrieved information (248"'b) retrieved using the second retriever (270b) to each pattern of a set of valid patterns and for generating a match-mismatch signal (SM) indicating a result of this comparison. Further, the invention relates to a low-voltage safe controller (400) comprising an error detector (200) as described above and an application unit (20), to a brown-out detection method, and to a brown-out self-healing method.