Dynamic Phase Shifter and Staticizer Circuit for Memory Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flip-flops incur high timing, power, and circuit costs when staticizing dynamic memory signals from dynamically accessed memory arrays, requiring additional circuitry and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic phase shifter and staticizer circuit that includes a clock domino and a staticizer, utilizing p-channel and n-channel field-effect transistors to shift and staticize signals, allowing time borrowing into the next cycle with a reduced gate delay, enabling efficient signal conversion and shifting with minimal circuit elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flip-flops are used to staticize dynamic memory signals, then the signal can be held for a full clock cycle, but the timing delay, power consumption, and circuit complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the signal holding function into two separate components: a latch that holds the signal for half a clock cycle, and a staticizer that extends the holding duration. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall circuit complexity while maintaining full-cycle signal stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a dynamic phase shifter that adapts the timing of the hold signal based on the actual arrival time of data from the memory array. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the timing margins without requiring additional static circuit elements, thereby reducing circuit complexity while maintaining reliable signal holding.
2Reliability
If conventional flip-flops are used to staticize dynamic memory signals, then the signal can be synchronized to the clock, but the critical path timing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic phase shifter adjusts the phase of the hold signal in real-time based on when data arrives from the memory array. This dynamic timing adjustment reduces the critical path delay by optimizing the overlap between data arrival and the activation of the hold signal, thereby improving timing without sacrificing synchronization reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch is activated in advance to capture the data signal before the full clock cycle elapses. By preparing the signal path early and using a two-stage approach (latch followed by staticizer), the circuit reduces the critical path timing while ensuring proper synchronization to the clock edge.
3Reliability
If conventional flip-flops are used to staticize dynamic memory signals, then the signal can be held stable, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The signal holding function is divided into a latch stage and a staticizer stage, where each stage is activated only when needed. This segmentation allows the circuit to consume power only during active signal transitions and holding periods, rather than continuously, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining signal stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit uses periodic clock signals to control the activation of the latch and staticizer stages. By synchronizing the holding function to the clock周期, the circuit consumes power only during necessary signal transitions and holds, rather than maintaining continuous power consumption, thus reducing overall energy usage while preserving signal stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic phase shifter and staticizer circuit and method includes a clock domino configured to receive a phase memory signal from a memory array and a clock signal and output the intermediate signal, and a staticizer configured to receive the intermediate signal from the clock domino and the clock signal and output a static memory signal. The static memory signal is shifted by one clock cycle from the phase memory signal. Setup and holding is done with respect to the clock edge, shifting the output of the clock domino, and the received phase memory signal can borrow into the next cycle when being sampled. The phase memory signal is converted from a half-cycle in length to the static memory signal that is a full-cycle in length.