Phase Detection ESD Restart Circuit for Soft-Fail Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
System level electrostatic discharges during the operation of electronic devices often lead to malfunctions, and existing technologies lack effective methods for detecting and addressing these discharges, which can result in permanent damage or soft-fails that are not easily recognizable to users.
Innovation Solution
A system level electrostatic discharge detection device that includes phase detectors to identify phase differences between supply voltages or input signals, a storage unit to store detected phase differences, and an output unit to generate a detection signal, which is used by a restart system to initiate corrective actions and restart operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If system level ESD detection is implemented using phase detection between supply voltages or input signals, then the reliability of electronic devices is improved by detecting and enabling restart after soft-fail, but the device complexity increases due to additional phase detectors, storage units, and output units
Solution Approach 1:
The phase detection unit is designed to detect phase differences between multiple pairs of signals (first power supply voltage and second power supply voltage, first ground voltage and second ground voltage, first input signal and second input signal) using a unified detection mechanism. This multi-functional approach allows a single detection device structure to serve multiple detection purposes, improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A storage unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the phase detection unit and the output unit. The storage unit stores the detected phase difference information and enables controlled signal output based on stored detection results. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to process and respond to ESD events reliably while managing the complexity through structured signal flow control
2Productivity
If automatic restart function is implemented upon detecting system level ESD, then the productivity is improved by reducing manual intervention and enabling continuous operation, but the loss of information may occur during restart operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the output unit generates an output signal based on the stored phase difference detection results. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically respond to detected ESD conditions by triggering restart operations, thereby maintaining operational continuity and productivity without requiring manual intervention for each ESD event
Data Source
AI summary
A system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection device includes a phase detection unit including at least one phase detector suitable for detecting a phase difference between a plurality of supply voltages or between a plurality of input signals; a storage unit suitable for shifting between a first and a second state, the second state indicating a phase difference detected by the phase detection unit; and an output unit suitable for outputting a system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection signal according to the first or second state of the storage unit.