DSP Interrupt Control for RF Digital Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In highly integrated RF systems, interference between RF circuitry and digital circuitry poses significant challenges, leading to performance disturbances and increased component count, size, and cost, necessitating a solution for minimizing noise and interference within a single circuit partition.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a DSP and an interrupt controller that disables or adjusts the DSP's operation during RF signal transmission or reception using a sequencer to generate interrupts, allowing for time-domain isolation and minimizing noise interference between RF and digital circuitry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If RF circuitry and digital circuitry are placed in different circuit partitions, then interference between RF and digital circuitry is reduced, but device complexity and component count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges RF circuitry and digital circuitry into a single integrated circuit partition, eliminating the need for separate partitions. This is achieved by implementing time-domain isolation through interrupt-based control, where the digital signal processor is disabled during RF transmission/reception periods. The interrupt controller coordinates the switching between RF and digital processing modes, allowing both circuit types to coexist in one partition without mutual interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action by enabling the digital signal processor only during specific time periods when RF transmission/reception is not occurring. The interrupt controller creates periodic enable/disable cycles of the DSP based on RF activity status. This time-division multiplexing approach allows the DSP to operate periodically during low-noise intervals while remaining inactive during RF-active periods, thus preventing interference while maintaining integration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If more than one circuit partition is used for RF and digital circuitry, then interference is minimized, but manufacturing cost and reliability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines RF and digital circuitry into a single partition, reducing the number of components and interconnections. This merging approach decreases manufacturing complexity and potential failure points while maintaining noise isolation through temporal separation of operations. The integrated design reduces assembly steps and improves yield by eliminating multi-part packaging requirements.
3Productivity
If the DSP is continuously operational, then signal processing capability is maintained, but noise interference with RF circuitry increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic operation of the DSP by disabling it during RF transmission and reception periods. The interrupt controller monitors RF activity and generates interrupts to pause the DSP accordingly. This periodic enable/disable mechanism ensures the DSP remains inactive during high-noise RF periods, preventing its own operations from generating interference with RF circuitry while maintaining processing capability during appropriate time windows.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the DSP operational state flexible rather than fixed. The DSP transitions between active and inactive states based on real-time RF activity conditions. The interrupt controller dynamically adjusts the DSP's operational status to match RF requirements, enabling the system to adapt the processing capability availability according to instantaneous noise conditions and RF transmission schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a radio-frequency (RF) circuitry and a signal-processing circuitry in a mobile telephone apparatus includes at least partially disabling the signal-processing circuitry while transmitting or receiving signals. In one example, a processor is efficiently disabled by generating and servicing an interrupt of relatively high priority. One advantage of this example is that preexisting, legacy code can be maintained, while still achieving the desired objectives. The processor can be enabled by generating and servicing a second high priority interrupt.