Bi-Directional Gray Code Counter Without Binary Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bi-directional Gray code counters require unnecessary complexity and additional logic gates for converting Gray code to binary code and back, leading to increased chip area, timing delays, and power consumption due to the need for incremental/decremental operations in binary code format.
Innovation Solution
A bi-directional Gray code counter that directly increments or decrements Gray code values without requiring binary code conversion, using logic circuitry to compare Gray code bits to a bit index pattern and transition specific bits, thereby simplifying the circuit design and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Gray code is converted to binary code and back for bi-directional counting, then the counter can increment and decrement, but the chip area increases due to additional logic gates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary binary code conversion step from the conventional Gray code counter design. By directly manipulating Gray code bits through comparison with a bit index pattern, the design removes the conversion logic gates that would otherwise be required, thereby reducing chip area while maintaining bi-directional counting capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of converting Gray code to binary code and then performing increment/decrement operations (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by directly operating on Gray code bits. The bit index pattern comparison method directly identifies which Gray code bit to transition, eliminating the need for binary conversion and its associated logic gates
2Adaptability or versatility
If Gray code is converted to binary code and back for bi-directional counting, then the counter can increment and decrement, but timing delays increase due to additional conversion steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the time-consuming binary code conversion steps from the counting operation. By directly comparing Gray code bits with a bit index pattern and transitioning the appropriate bit, the design eliminates the multi-step conversion process that introduces timing delays, thereby improving the timing performance of bi-directional counting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent skips the intermediate binary code conversion step entirely. The bit index pattern comparison method directly identifies the target Gray code bit for transition, allowing the counter to rapidly increment or decrement without the time penalty of converting to binary, performing the operation, and converting back to Gray code
3Adaptability or versatility
If Gray code is converted to binary code and back for bi-directional counting, then the counter can increment and decrement, but power consumption increases due to additional logic gates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the unnecessary binary code conversion logic gates from the design. By using direct Gray code bit manipulation through bit index pattern comparison, the design eliminates the conversion circuitry that would otherwise consume power, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining full bi-directional counting functionality
Data Source
AI summary
A bi-directional Gray code counter includes a first set of logic circuitry configured to receive an input having a first sequence of bits representing a first value. The first set of logic circuitry is further configured to convert the first sequence of bits to a second sequence of bits representing the first value. The bi-directional Gray code counter further includes a second set of logic circuitry and third second set of logic circuitry. The second set of logic circuitry is configured to compare the second sequence of bits to a bit index pattern. The third set of logic circuitry is configured to transition one bit in the first sequence of bits from a first state to a second state to form a third sequence of bits representing a second value. The one bit is transitioned in response to the second sequence of bits being compared to the bit index pattern.