Dual-Delay Latch Circuit for Rise-Fall Skew Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing signal timing adjustment technologies fail to effectively correct rise-fall skew (RFS) in signals, which results in distortion due to unequal delays in rising and falling edges, affecting pulse-width and overall signal quality.
Innovation Solution
The proposed circuitry includes a latch and controllable delay circuits for both non-inverted and inverted signal versions, allowing independent adjustment of delays to align rising and falling edges, thereby correcting skew and maintaining the original pulse-width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single delay circuit is used to adjust signal timing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to independently correct rising and falling edge skew is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single delay adjustment function into two independent delay circuits: one for the non-inverted signal path and one for the inverted signal path. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of rising edge skew and falling edge skew, resolving the contradiction by sacrificing some device complexity to achieve precise skew correction for both edges separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different delay adjustments to different parts of the signal path: the first delay circuit adjusts the rising edge timing while the second delay circuit adjusts the falling edge timing. This local quality approach allows each delay circuit to be optimized for its specific function, achieving precise skew correction without requiring a completely complex unified system.
2Manufacturing precision
If delay circuits are added to adjust signal edges, then skew correction capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch circuit serves multiple functions: it captures the delayed signals, combines them, and produces the corrected output signal. By making the latch multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for additional dedicated components, thereby improving edge timing accuracy while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch acts as an intermediary element that receives the separately delayed non-inverted and inverted signals, processes them together, and produces the final corrected output. This intermediary approach allows the two delay circuits to work independently while still achieving coordinated skew correction, balancing precision improvement with complexity management.
Data Source
AI summary
Example circuitry to adjust a rise-fall skew in a signal includes: a latch including a first latch input, a second latch input, and a latch output, each of the first latch input and the second latch input being responsive to a rising edge of a version of a signal to provide a predefined logic level at the latch output; a first delay circuit that is controllable to configure a first delay, the first delay circuit being electrically connected to the first latch input and being for adjusting a rise portion of a skew in a first version of the signal; and a second delay circuit that is controllable to configure a second delay, the second delay circuit being electrically connected to the second latch input and being for adjusting a fall portion of the skew in a second version the signal.