Radiation Imaging Serial Data Alignment for Bit Shift Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radiation imaging systems face challenges in recovering from bit shifts due to noise, such as static electricity, which can lead to delays in data transmission and loss of alignment, especially when serial data is converted to parallel data without proper alignment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an alignment unit that performs alignment during specific periods between analog-to-digital conversion periods, in addition to before the first conversion period, to identify and correct bit shifts in the serial data string, allowing for continuous data transmission without delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a header is added to serial data to detect data breaks, then data transmission reliability is improved, but data transmission delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment unit performs alignment in advance during periods between analog-to-digital conversion periods, preparing the serial-parallel conversion unit for upcoming data transmission. This preliminary alignment ensures that when data transmission occurs, the system is already synchronized, eliminating the need for time-consuming delay mechanisms while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own idle periods between conversions to perform alignment operations, rather than requiring separate dedicated alignment time. The alignment unit utilizes the natural gaps in the conversion schedule to self-correct and maintain synchronization, eliminating external delay mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If alignment is performed only before the first analog-to-digital conversion period, then device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot recover from bit shifts that occur during capturing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment unit performs alignment periodically at predetermined intervals between analog-to-digital conversion periods, rather than only once at the beginning. This periodic reinforcement of alignment ensures that any bit shifts occurring during capturing operations are detected and corrected in the next alignment cycle, maintaining reliability without requiring complex continuous monitoring mechanisms.
3Speed
If serial data is transmitted without headers to reduce transmission delay, then data transmission speed is improved, but the system loses the ability to detect and recover from bit shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment unit acts as an intermediary mechanism that indirectly detects bit shifts through alignment verification during periods between conversions. Instead of adding headers directly to the data stream (which would slow transmission), the alignment unit monitors the integrity of serial data through alignment checks, enabling bit shift detection without compromising transmission speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A radiation imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit having sensors configured to detect radiation, and configured to output an analog signal from each sensor, an AD converter configured to, in each AD conversion period corresponding to a frame, convert the analog signals from the imaging unit into digital signals and output the digital signals as a serial data string of bits, a serial-parallel conversion unit configured to convert, into parallel data, the serial data string of the bits from the AD converter, and an alignment unit configured to perform alignment for the serial-parallel conversion unit to identify the serial data string. The alignment unit performs the alignment in at least a period between one AD conversion period and another analog-to-digital conversion period, in addition to performing the alignment before a first AD conversion period.