Clock Generator Feedback for Error-Aware Bus Timing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microcontroller systems face failures due to mismatched system clock frequencies, leading to incomplete or incorrect data transfer between master and slave components, which limits performance and reliability, as conventional solutions either reduce clock frequency or introduce wait states, compromising maximum throughput.
Innovation Solution
A clock generator dynamically adjusts the system clock frequency on a cycle-by-cycle basis, suppressing or allowing clock cycles based on data integrity evaluation, allowing immediate correction of errors and adapting to delays, thereby ensuring reliable data transfer without reducing overall performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the system clock frequency is set to the maximum possible frequency, then the data throughput and system performance are improved, but data transfer errors occur when slaves are too slow to deliver data on time
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the clock frequency on a cycle-by-cycle basis rather than using a fixed frequency. The clock generator monitors data transfer status and adaptively changes the clock frequency in real-time, allowing the system to operate at maximum speed when data is ready and slow down when slaves need more time, thus resolving the contradiction between high throughput and reliable data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the clock generator continuously monitors whether data has been correctly received from slaves. Based on this feedback information, the clock generator adjusts the clock frequency for the next cycle, creating a closed-loop control system that balances performance and reliability by responding to actual system conditions.
2Reliability
If wait states are introduced for slow slaves to ensure data delivery, then data transfer reliability is improved, but the overall system clock frequency and performance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying a global wait state to all system operations, the invention applies clock frequency adjustment locally and selectively only to cycles where data transfer delays are detected. The master can continue operating at high frequency for operations that do not involve waiting for slow slaves, while only specific clock cycles are slowed down when needed for data transfer, thus maintaining high overall throughput while ensuring reliable data delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static wait state insertion to dynamic clock frequency adjustment. Rather than pre-determining wait states based on worst-case scenarios, the system dynamically determines the necessary clock frequency on a cycle-by-cycle basis based on actual data transfer conditions, allowing the system to achieve high reliability without the performance penalty of conservative fixed wait states.
3Reliability
If the system clock frequency is reduced to match the slowest component, then all components can operate reliably, but the overall system performance is limited by the slowest component
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces static frequency matching with dynamic frequency adjustment. Instead of permanently setting the clock frequency to match the slowest component, the system adjusts the frequency dynamically based on whether data transfer delays are actually occurring. This allows the system to operate at high frequencies when all components are keeping up and temporarily slow down only when the slowest component causes delays, thus achieving both reliability and high performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The clock generator performs preliminary evaluation of data transfer status before committing to the next clock cycle. By checking whether data is ready in advance and adjusting the clock frequency proactively, the system prevents data transfer errors before they occur, allowing sustained high-performance operation without the need to permanently limit the clock frequency to match the slowest component.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is applicable to an electronic device including a master, a slave, a bus coupling the master and the slave and a clock generator for providing a system clock to the master and slave. The clock generator determines whether the received data is correct on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The clock generator suppresses an edge of a next clock cycle of the system clock signal if the data is not to be correct. The clock generator allows the edge of a next clock cycle of the system clock signal if the data is correct.