Coupled-Resonator Clocking With Harmonics for Faster Slew Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional resonant clocking techniques suffer from poorer slew rates compared to conventional clocking techniques, despite using less energy and having lower jitter.
Innovation Solution
Employing a driver circuit to generate a clock signal with both a fundamental frequency and a harmonic frequency component, coupled with a coupled-resonator network that magnetically and electrically couples inductors to resonate at both frequencies, improving slew rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional resonant clocking techniques use sinusoidally shaped clock signals, then energy consumption is reduced and jitter is lowered, but slew rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the clock signal waveform by selectively combining fundamental and harmonic frequency components. The driver circuit can switch between pure sinusoidal operation (for low power) and composite waveforms with harmonic content (for high slew rate), optimizing performance based on operational requirements. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to exhibit different characteristics as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite clock signal by combining multiple frequency components (fundamental frequency and harmonic frequencies) through coupled resonators. This composite signal structure provides both the energy efficiency of resonant clocking and the high slew rate characteristics needed for fast switching, effectively merging the advantages of both sinusoidal and square-wave approaches.
2Loss of energy
If conventional resonant clocking techniques use sinusoidally shaped clock signals, then energy consumption is reduced, but slew rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls the amplitude and phase of harmonic components to minimize energy loss while maintaining sufficient slew rate. By adjusting the contribution of harmonic frequencies only when needed, the system keeps energy losses low during normal operation and temporarily enhances slew rate when fast transitions are required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spectral parameters of the clock signal by introducing harmonic frequency components with specific amplitudes and phases. This parameter modification allows the signal to achieve faster rise and fall times (improved slew rate) while maintaining the overall energy efficiency of resonant clocking through controlled harmonic content.
3Speed
If coupled-resonator network resonates at fundamental and harmonic frequencies, then slew rate is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple resonators into a coupled-resonator network where the resonators work together to generate both fundamental and harmonic frequency components. By merging these functional elements into a single integrated structure, the patent achieves complex waveform generation without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the coupled resonators share common circuit elements and can be fabricated using standard processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves better slew rates comparable to conventional clocking techniques while maintaining lower energy consumption and jitter, with the ability to fabricate using known processes.
Implementation Method 1
a first inductor to be magnetically coupled with a second inductor
Implementation Method 2
the coupled-resonator network is configured to simultaneously resonate at both the first frequency and first phase of the first component of the clock signal, and the second frequency and second phase of the second component of the clock signal
Implementation Method 3
The first inductor is also to be electrically coupled with the second inductor via a first capacitor
Implementation Method 4
a first capacitor which is coupled between the first inductor and the second inductor
Data Source
AI summary
When an output of a driver circuit is coupled with a coupled-resonator network and a clock distribution network, the driver circuit generates a clock signal comprised of first and second components at first and second frequencies. The second frequency is a harmonic of the first frequency, and the first and second frequencies are in phase. In operation, the coupled-resonator network simultaneously resonates at both the first and second frequencies when coupled with the output of the driver circuit and the clock distribution network. The coupled-resonator network comprises a first inductor and a second inductor that, in operation, are both magnetically coupled and electrically coupled. The driver circuit and coupled-resonator network cooperate to provide a clock signal to the clock distribution network with improvements in slew rate and energy efficiency.