IC Voltage Meter Feedback Circuit for Noisy Signal Extremes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage meters struggle to accurately measure the maximum and minimum values of noisy signals within integrated circuits, due to complex noise behavior and high bandwidth requirements.
Innovation Solution
A novel voltage meter comprising a sampler, gain circuit, accumulator, and feedback circuit, which samples the input signal to generate up and down signals, modifies these signals using a gain circuit, accumulates the results, and uses a feedback loop to track the signal's maximum and minimum values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional voltage meters are used to measure noisy signals with large DC offsets, then measurement of transient noise behavior requires high bandwidth, but this increases device complexity and makes measurement more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage meter is segmented into distinct functional modules: a sampler that generates up/down signals based on input voltage thresholds, a counter that accumulates these signals, and a digital-to-analog converter that outputs the measurement. This modular segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function, simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining measurement precision for transient noise behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate signals (up signals and down signals) as mediators between the input voltage and the final measurement output. The sampler converts the continuous voltage signal into discrete up/down signals based on threshold comparisons, and the counter accumulates these intermediate signals to produce the final measurement. This intermediary approach simplifies the measurement process and reduces device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If high bandwidth is used to measure transient behavior of noisy signals, then measurement precision improves, but the measurement system becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage meter employs a self-service mechanism where the sampler automatically generates up/down signals by comparing the input voltage against reference thresholds, and the counter automatically accumulates these signals without requiring external intervention. This self-service operation simplifies the ease of operation while maintaining high measurement precision for transient noise behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the counter output is converted back to analog form and fed back to the sampler for continuous comparison with the input voltage. This feedback loop enables the system to continuously track and measure transient noise behavior with high precision while maintaining simple operation through automatic adjustment.
3Measurement precision
If conventional measurement methods are used for signals with large DC offsets and noise, then the measurement system requires high bandwidth, but this increases the difficulty of detecting and measuring the signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct voltage measurement to counting the number of up/down signals generated by threshold comparisons. By transforming the measurement parameter from analog voltage level to digital signal count, the system can accurately measure signals with large DC offsets and noise without requiring high bandwidth, thereby reducing the difficulty of detection and measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional analog measurement mechanisms with a digital counting mechanism. Instead of using high-bandwidth analog circuits to track transient noise, the system uses a digital counter to accumulate up/down signals generated by the sampler. This substitution of digital for analog mechanisms reduces the difficulty of detecting and measuring noisy signals with DC offsets.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage meter includes a sampler, a gain circuit, an accumulator and a feedback circuit. The sampler samples an input signal to generate a series of first signals and a series of second signals. The gain circuit, coupled to the sampler, modifies at least one of the series of first signals and the series of second signals, to generate a series of modified first signals and a series of modified second signals. The accumulator, coupled to the gain circuit, accumulates an operational result of the series of modified first signals and the series of modified second signals, to generate an accumulation result. The feedback circuit, coupled between the accumulator and the sampler, sends a feedback signal back to the sampler according to the accumulation result.