Communication Resource Timing via Dummy Data Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Dedicated controller devices often exhaust their available timer resources, making it impossible to support applications requiring additional timing resources beyond what is normally available.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing non-timer dedicated resources, such as communication resources, A/D converters, D/A converters, arithmetic co-processors, and cryptographic co-processors, to perform timing operations by calibrating them for well-regulated time sequences and employing dummy data transmission to indicate elapsed time intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If dedicated timer resources are used for timing operations, then timing functionality is provided, but the device cannot support applications requiring more timer resources than are physically available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling communication resources (originally designed for data transmission) to perform dual functions: both communication and timing operations. The communication resource is configured to transmit data and also generate timing signals by utilizing its bit clock period and transmission completion signals, allowing one hardware component to serve multiple purposes and eliminate the need for separate dedicated timer modules.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated timer modules are provided in the device, then more timing resources are available, but the device complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes existing communication hardware perform timing functions in addition to its primary communication role. By configuring the communication resource to utilize its inherent clock signals and transmission completion indicators for timing purposes, the system extracts additional functionality from existing hardware without adding more physical timer modules, thereby increasing available timing resources while conserving hardware quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication resource serves itself by generating timing signals from its own operational characteristics (bit clock period, transmission completion signals) without requiring external dedicated timer hardware. The system uses its own operational parameters to provide timing functionality, making the communication resource self-sufficient for both communication and timing tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for using a non-timer dedicated resource, such as a communication resource, for performing timing operations is provided. The method is advantageous for use with embedded applications in dedicated devices having limited timing resources, particularly in cases where the existing timing resources have all been allocated to specific tasks and are not available to accommodate further timing requirements.