NRZI Sync Detection via Firmware Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication and data storage systems using NRZI encoding are susceptible to timing issues, leading to large numbers of detected errors even when the input data stream contains few actual errors, due to sync detection failures.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid system combining dedicated processing circuitry for initial sync signal detection and firmware-controlled processing for error correction, allowing the system to resolve sync signal issues that dedicated hardware alone cannot handle, by pre-processing data to correct errors and enable accurate sync detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If dedicated processing circuitry is used for sync signal detection, then processing speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to correct errors causing sync detection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides processing into two segments: dedicated processing circuitry for initial sync signal detection and firmware-controlled processing for error correction. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its strength while working together to achieve both speed and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The firmware performs preliminary error correction on the received data stream before the dedicated processing circuitry attempts sync signal detection. By correcting errors in advance, the system prevents sync detection failures that would otherwise require reprocessing.
2Reliability
If firmware-controlled processing is used for error correction, then reliability is improved, but processing speed deteriorates due to software execution overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware performs error correction only when the dedicated processing circuitry fails to detect the sync signal. This partial action approach applies the slower firmware processing only when necessary, maintaining overall system speed while providing reliability backup.
Solution Approach 2:
The dedicated processing circuitry acts as an intermediary that filters out most cases, allowing the firmware to focus only on problematic cases. This intermediary layer prevents the firmware from processing every data stream, maintaining speed while ensuring reliability for difficult cases.
3Measurement precision
If error correction is performed before sync detection, then sync detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to hybrid architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges dedicated processing circuitry and firmware-controlled processing into a unified hybrid architecture. The two components are integrated to work together seamlessly, with the firmware serving as a supplement to the hardware rather than a separate system.
Data Source
AI summary
New and useful methods and systems for detecting sync signals/patterns in streams of data are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment system for processing data includes a first module having dedicated processing circuitry configured to detect a sync signal embedded in a received stream of data and to produce an output stream of data, and second module that includes a firmware-controlled processor configured to correct sufficient errors within the received stream of data so as to allow the first module to detect the sync signal on a condition when the first module by itself is incapable of resolving the sync signal caused by the errors in the received stream of data.