Variable Injection-Locked Oscillator for Clean Power Mode Clock Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection-locked oscillators (ILOs) face challenges in transitioning rapidly between power modes, leading to unpredictable transients and latency issues, especially when powering up or down, which is problematic for mobile devices requiring efficient power management.
Innovation Solution
A variable injection-strength ILO that adjusts its operating mode based on power mode information, switching between weak and strong injection strengths to synchronize clock signals with input clock frequency changes, allowing for seamless transitions and reduced jitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If an ILO is used in mobile devices with multiple power modes, then power management efficiency is improved, but unpredictable transients and latency occur during power mode transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the injection strength adjustable rather than fixed. The ILO circuit can dynamically switch between strong injection mode and weak injection mode depending on the power mode transitions, allowing optimal performance in different operating conditions while maintaining stability during transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the injection strength parameter of the ILO based on power mode information. By detecting power mode transitions and adjusting the injection strength accordingly (strong during transitions, weak during stable operation), the system resolves the contradiction between power efficiency and signal stability.
2Productivity
If the ILO is powered up rapidly to meet transition requirements, then productivity is improved, but unpredictable transients are generated in the output clock signal
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts injection strength based on operational phase. During rapid power-up transitions, strong injection ensures quick locking despite transients. Once locked, the system switches to weak injection to maintain clean clock signals, thus achieving both fast transition and high signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary detection of power mode transitions to prepare the injection strength before the actual transition occurs. This allows the ILO to be pre-configured in strong injection mode before power-up, ensuring rapid locking, then switched to weak mode afterward to eliminate transients.
3Reliability
If strong injection strength is used to ensure reliable locking, then reliability is improved, but clock jitter increases during normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes injection strength dynamic rather than constantly strong. The system uses weak injection during normal operation to minimize clock jitter, and only switches to strong injection during power mode transitions when reliable locking is critical. This temporal separation resolves the contradiction between reliability and jitter.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically switches between strong and weak injection modes based on power mode detection. Strong injection is applied periodically during transitions, while weak injection is used during stable operation, achieving both reliable locking and low jitter through periodic modulation of injection strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A variable injection-strength injection-locked oscillator (ILO) is described. The variable injection-strength ILO can output an output clock signal based on an input clock signal. The variable injection-strength ILO can pause, restart, slow down, or speed up the output clock signal synchronously with respect to the input clock signal in response to receiving power mode information. Specifically, the variable injection-strength ILO can be operated under relatively strong injection when the input clock signal is paused, restarted, slowed down, or sped up.