Clock Recovery Calibration for MIPI C-PHY Signal Receivers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current signal receiving devices face challenges in efficiently recovering clock and data signals from MIPI C-PHY interfaces, particularly due to varying signal levels and the need to mitigate jitter characteristics, which complicates the recovery process and requires additional circuitry.

Innovation Solution

A signal receiving device comprising a transition detecting device, clock data recovering device, calibration device, decoder, and de-mapper that generates differential signals, comparison signals, and gain control signals to recover clock and data signals, eliminating the need for separate jitter adjustment circuits by setting reference signal levels to minimize transitions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If separate jitter adjustment circuits are added to recover clock and data signals, then signal recovery accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal recovery accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the jitter adjustment function into the existing clock data recovery device, eliminating the need for separate jitter adjustment circuits. The processing circuitry integrates both clock recovery and jitter mitigation in a single unified structure, thereby maintaining signal recovery accuracy while reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The clock data recovery device is designed to perform multiple functions: clock signal recovery, data signal recovery, and jitter characteristic mitigation. This multi-functional approach allows a single device to handle tasks that previously required separate dedicated circuits, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If additional circuitry is added to mitigate jitter characteristics, then signal recovery reliability is improved, but device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal recovery reliabilityVSAvoiddevice size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The jitter mitigation functionality is merged into the existing clock data recovery circuitry rather than being implemented as separate additional circuits. This integration approach maintains signal recovery reliability through jitter compensation while avoiding the need for extra physical space that separate circuits would require.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If complex processing is used to recover clock and data signals, then recovery precision is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecovery precisionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The processing circuitry is pre-configured with the capability to perform complex signal processing operations for clock and data recovery. By having the processing logic already in place and optimized, the system can execute precise recovery operations without incurring excessive processing delays during actual signal reception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3796592B1Signal receiving device and method for recovering clock and calibration of the device
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3796592B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3796592B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3796592B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A signal receiving device including a transition detecting device which receives first to third input signals having different signal levels for each unit interval, compares whether a signal level of a first differential signal, which is a differential signal between the first input signal and the second input signal among the first to third input signals, is greater than a first reference signal level to output a first comparison signal, and compares whether the signal level of the first differential signal is greater than a second reference signal level different from the first reference signal level to output a second comparison signal, and a clock data recovering device which recovers a clock signal embedded in the first to third input signals on the basis of the first and second comparison signals to output the recovery clock signal.