Parallel-Pipeline Fourier Transform Circuit for High Data Rates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Fourier transform (FT) circuits face challenges in increasing data rates for high-bandwidth signals while maintaining efficient hardware resource usage and reducing power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A combination of pipeline and parallel FT circuits, where samples are distributed into subsets and processed in parallel, with adjustable lengths and twiddle factor multiplication, optimizing hardware utilization and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sequential FT circuits are used to process samples, then hardware resources and power consumption are reduced, but data rate and processing speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The input signal is divided into multiple subsets of samples, with each subset processed by a dedicated pipeline FT circuit. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple signal portions simultaneously, increasing the overall data rate without requiring a single overly complex circuit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from sequential single-sample processing to parallel multi-sample processing by introducing a second dimension of parallelism. Multiple pipeline FT circuits operate simultaneously on different sample subsets, and each pipeline circuit further processes multiple samples in parallel through its internal structure, effectively moving from one-dimensional sequential processing to two-dimensional parallel processing
2Productivity
If parallel FT circuits are used to increase data rate, then processing speed improves, but hardware resources and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each pipeline FT circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it processes multiple sample subsets in parallel and also performs FFT operations on each subset. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of separate circuits needed, thereby reducing overall hardware resources and power consumption while maintaining high data rate
Solution Approach 2:
The pipeline FT circuits are designed to continuously process incoming sample streams without idle periods. By maintaining continuous useful action across all parallel circuits, the system achieves high productivity without requiring excessive overhead resources for control and synchronization, thus optimizing the power-to-performance ratio
3Productivity
If more pipeline FT circuits are used to process more samples in parallel, then data rate increases, but hardware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pipeline FT circuits are merged into a unified parallel processing structure where they share common control logic and resource allocation mechanisms. This merging approach allows the system to achieve high data rates through parallelism while avoiding the linear increase in hardware complexity that would result from completely independent circuits
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic resource allocation and configurable pipeline stages that can adapt to different processing requirements. This dynamic architecture allows the hardware to efficiently handle variable data rates without requiring maximum resources to be provisioned for all possible scenarios, thereby reducing overall hardware complexity while maintaining high productivity capability
Data Source
AI summary
A FT circuit includes a distribution circuit, a number N of pipeline FT circuits, and a number M of parallel FT circuits, wherein N and M are integers greater than or equal to 2. The distribution circuit is configured to receive a plurality of samples, to divide the plurality of samples into N subsets of samples, and to forward each of the N subsets of samples to a dedicated one of the pipeline FT circuits. The pipeline FT circuits are arranged in parallel to each other and are configured to process M samples in parallel, thereby obtaining M intermediate samples per pipeline FT circuit. The pipeline FT circuits are configured to forward each of the M intermediate samples to a dedicated one of the M parallel FT circuits. Each parallel FT circuit is configured to process N intermediate samples in parallel, thereby obtaining N output samples per parallel FT circuit.