Delay-Line Pulse Generator for Gaussian UWB Pulse Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pulse generators for CMOS implementation in ultra-wideband (UWB) applications face challenges in generating sufficient output power at microwave frequencies while being cost-efficient, especially due to high power consumption and large chip area requirements, which limits their scalability and performance across different frequency bands and jurisdictions.
Innovation Solution
A pulse generator design that omits the oscillator and uses a delay line with re-usable pull-up and pull-down transistors to create a multi-slope pulse shape, reducing the number of devices and parasitic capacitance, thereby minimizing power consumption and chip area, and allowing scalability to higher order Gaussian pulse shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional oscillators are used to generate UWB pulses, then the pulse generation function is achieved, but power consumption and chip area increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the oscillator component from the pulse generation system. Instead of using a traditional oscillator to generate carrier waves, the invention directly generates impulse radio UWB pulses through a pulse generator circuit, eliminating the power-consuming oscillator while maintaining the essential pulse generation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical oscillator system with an electronic pulse generation circuit. The oscillator's function of generating periodic signals is substituted by an electronic circuit that directly produces the required UWB impulse pulses through controlled switching of pull-up and pull-down devices.
2Manufacturing precision
If more transistors are used to generate complex pulse shapes, then pulse shape accuracy improves, but chip area and parasitic capacitance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple transistors by allowing each pull-up or pull-down device to be activated multiple times through different delay line taps. This consolidation reduces the total number of transistors required while maintaining the ability to generate complex multi-slope Gaussian pulse shapes through coordinated timing of the shared devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous utilization of each transistor by designing the delay line and tap structure so that every pull-up and pull-down device is activated multiple times during a single pulse generation cycle. This maximizes the useful action of each device, reducing the total device count while maintaining pulse shape accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual transistors are used for each pulse slope, then pulse generation flexibility is achieved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each pull-up and pull-down transistor universal by connecting multiple delay line taps to the same devices. Each transistor serves multiple functions by being activated at different times for different pulse slopes, reducing the total device count while maintaining the flexibility to generate various Gaussian derivative pulse shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of transistor activation through the delay line structure. The timing and sequencing of transistor activation is dynamically controlled by the delay line tap selection, allowing flexible generation of different pulse shapes without requiring dedicated static transistors for each pulse component.
4Ease of manufacture
If supply voltage is reduced to 1V for CMOS compatibility, then cost-efficiency improves, but output energy at microwave frequencies decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic switching action of the pull-up and pull-down transistors to build up output energy despite the low 1V supply voltage. The rapid alternating activation of these devices creates the high-frequency UWB pulses required for microwave operation, accumulating energy through the periodic action rather than requiring high instantaneous voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the transistors by using them in a switching mode rather than linear mode. The transistors are rapidly switched between on and off states, allowing the low-voltage CMOS circuit to generate high-frequency signals with sufficient energy by exploiting the dynamic switching behavior rather than static voltage levels.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pulse generator comprising: an input for receiving a trigger; an output node for outputting a signal; a delay line comprising one or more delay units and a plurality of taps; one or more pull-up devices each connected to the output node for increasing the output voltage on the output node; and/or one or more pull-down devices each connected to the output node for decreasing the output voltage on the output node; wherein the taps of the delay line are operably connected to the pull- up and/or pull-down devices such that a trigger passing along the delay line activates one or more of the pull-up and/or one or more of the pull-down devices more than once. Re-use of the pull-up and/or pull-down devices enables longer and more complex pulse shapes, such as high-order Gaussian pulse shapes to be produced while keeping the number of components low, thus reducing chip area, power requirements and parasitic capacitance.