Oscillator Inverter Switching for Fast Startup and Lower Current
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oscillator circuits in microcomputers require a significant oscillation stabilizing period, which increases electric current consumption due to high driving capacity transistors, necessitating a balance between shortening this period and reducing power consumption.
Innovation Solution
An oscillator circuit with a control circuit that adjusts the driving capacity of the amplifier circuit by switching between multiple inverters, ensuring high capacity during initial oscillation stabilization and reducing to lower capacity after stabilization, thereby minimizing electric current consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the driving capacity of the inverter is set high to shorten the oscillation stabilizing period, then the oscillation stabilizing period is shortened, but the consumption of electric current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter circuit transitions from a static high driving capacity configuration to a dynamic configuration where the driving capacity is adjusted over time. The control circuit switches between a first inverter circuit (high driving capacity) during the oscillation stabilizing period and a second inverter circuit (low driving capacity) after stabilization, thereby dynamically adapting the energy consumption to the actual operational needs of the oscillator circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit implements periodic switching between different inverter circuits based on the oscillation stabilizing period. During the initial period, the first inverter circuit with high driving capacity is activated to quickly stabilize oscillation. After the stabilizing period elapses, the circuit switches to the second inverter circuit with low driving capacity, creating a time-based periodic action pattern that optimizes energy consumption.
2Reliability
If the size of the transistors is set large to achieve low output impedance, then the output impedance is reduced, but the consumption of electric current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter circuit is segmented into two distinct configurations: a first inverter circuit with large transistors (GW1/GL1) providing low output impedance during the oscillation stabilizing period, and a second inverter circuit with small transistors (GW2/GL2) providing higher output impedance but lower current consumption after stabilization. This segmentation allows the circuit to have different transistor sizes for different operational phases, resolving the contradiction between impedance requirements and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by having different transistor size characteristics in different time periods. During the critical oscillation stabilizing period, large transistors are used locally to ensure low output impedance and reliable oscillation startup. After stabilization, the local transistor size is reduced to minimize current consumption, thereby applying different quality characteristics to different temporal regions of the circuit operation.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is directed to achieve the oscillator circuit with a shorter oscillation stabilizing period and a lower consumption of the electric current. The oscillator circuit 10 has the amplifier circuit (inverter circuit 11), and the clock signal CLK is outputted from the output terminal of the inverter circuit 11. The inverter circuit 11 is configured from the first inverter 12 and the second inverter 13. The inverter circuit 11 is connected to the control circuit 30 and the control signal Ctrl controls the driving capacity of the inverter circuit 11. For example, high level control signals Ctrl 1 (H) and Ctrl 2 (H) are supplied to the first and the second inverters 12, 13 for a certain period of time right after the oscillator circuit 10 starts its operation until the oscillation is stabilized, operating both inverters. Then, either the first inverter 12 or the second inverter 13 continues its operation and the other inverter stops the operation.