Differential Manchester Decoder Circuit for Short Pulse Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing decoders face challenges in accurately decoding differential Manchester encoding in the presence of noise and jitter, particularly when oversampling, as they struggle to distinguish between short and long pulses which are crucial for data demodulation.

Innovation Solution

A decoder circuit that down-samples oversampled signals from differential Manchester encoding by a factor of four, using a detector circuit to identify short and long pulses based on clock transitions and corresponding bit transitions, and generates additional down-sampled bits to assist in data demodulation, thereby improving decoding accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If oversampling is used to improve decoding accuracy in noisy conditions, then measurement precision is improved, but the ability to distinguish between short and long pulses deteriorates due to increased sample complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoidpulse distinction difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the oversampled signal into groups of four consecutive samples and processes each group independently through a down-sampling circuit. This segmentation transforms the complex oversampled signal into manageable units, where each group produces a single down-sampled bit. The segmentation enables clear distinction between short pulses (producing specific down-sampled bit patterns) and long pulses (producing different patterns), thereby resolving the pulse distinction difficulty while maintaining decoding accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sampling rate parameter by downsampling the oversampled signal by a factor of four. The down-sampling circuit reduces the sample rate from the oversampled frequency to a lower frequency that maintains the essential pulse duration information. This parameter change simplifies the signal while preserving the ability to distinguish pulse lengths, as short pulses and long pulses produce fundamentally different patterns in the down-sampled domain.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If down-sampling is applied to reduce sample rate, then device complexity is reduced, but decoding accuracy may deteriorate due to loss of fine temporal resolution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoder complexityVSAvoiddecoding accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary down-sampling action to the oversampled signal before the main decoding process. The down-sampling circuit processes groups of four samples in advance, generating down-sampled bits that capture the essential pulse duration information. This preliminary action simplifies the subsequent decoding logic while maintaining accuracy, because the down-sampled bits already encode the distinction between short and long pulses in a form that is easy to decode.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a simplified copy of the oversampled signal through down-sampling. The down-sampled bits serve as a compressed representation that preserves the critical pulse duration information needed for accurate decoding. This copying approach maintains decoding accuracy because the down-sampled signal faithfully represents the original pulse structure in a simplified form that is easier to process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If additional down-sampled bits are generated to improve pulse distinction, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepulse distinction accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the processing into parallel down-sampling circuits that operate simultaneously on different groups of four samples. Each circuit generates down-sampled bits independently and in parallel, which improves pulse distinction accuracy without increasing sequential processing time. The segmented parallel architecture maintains high processing speed while producing the additional down-sampled bits needed for accurate pulse distinction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2737629B1Decoder circuit for down-sampling a differential manchester encoded signal
Publication Date: 2015.04.08 XILINX INC
  • EP2737629B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2737629B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2737629B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Decoder circuits and methods (200) down-sample the samples that oversample an input signal (100) having a differential Manchester encoding. A first input port (304) receives first, second, and third samples. A second input port (308) receives a state indicating whether a clock transition or a data transition precedes the first, second, and third samples. A third input port (306) receives first, second, and third down-sampled bits. A detector circuit (322, 416) is configured to generate a detection signal (324, 420) indicating a presence of a short pulse within the samples when the state indicates the clock transition and the second and third down-sampled bits are equal and differ from the first down- sampled bit and the third sample. A generator circuit (330, 418) is configured to generate a fourth down-sampled bit (302, 414) that equals the third sample when the detection signal indicates the presence of the short pulse, and that equals the second sample when the detection signal does not indicate the presence.