Phase Combiner Circuit for Glitch-Free Duty Cycle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional phase combiner circuits face issues with duty cycle distortions and glitches due to fast switching requirements and potential degradation over delay lines, necessitating additional circuits for duty cycle correction.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a signal generator, selection circuit, and phase combiner circuit that selects signal pairs to generate intermediate signals with defined rising and falling edges, reducing skew distortions and duty cycle variations by combining these signals to form an output signal with adjusted frequency and duty cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If dynamically switching multiplexers are used to combine signals, then frequency multiplication is achieved, but fast switching requirements cause duty cycle distortions and glitches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal combination process into multiple independent paths, each handling a specific phase relationship. Instead of using a single multiplexer that switches between all phases, the invention divides the combination into parallel segments that can be processed simultaneously, eliminating the need for fast switching while maintaining signal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary logic elements (such as additional multiplexers or logic gates) that mediate the combination of phased signals. These intermediaries buffer and condition the signals before final combination, preventing direct switching conflicts and reducing duty cycle distortions caused by rapid multiplexer transitions.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional duty cycle correction circuits are added, then duty cycle accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the signal combination logic to inherently maintain correct duty cycles through its structure. By carefully selecting which phased signals are combined in each output path and ensuring proper phase relationships, the circuit self-corrects duty cycle variations without requiring external correction circuits, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the duty cycle correction function into the main signal combination logic. Rather than adding separate correction circuits, the invention integrates duty cycle management into the phase combination process itself, using the same logic elements to both combine signals and maintain proper duty cycles, thus avoiding additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are discussed where a plurality of input signals having different phases are provided. From the input signals, a plurality of signal pairs are selected, and intermediate signals are generated based on the signal pairs. The intermediate signals are then combined.