Data Bus Signal Conditioner With Rate-Aware Level Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data bus technologies, such as USB, face limitations in communication distance and power efficiency, particularly as device feature sizes shrink and distances between devices on a circuit board increase, leading to degraded data transmission and the need for complex repeaters that consume higher power.
Innovation Solution
A circuit comprising signal conditioner, level shifter, and state detector and controller circuitry that detects data rates and adjusts operations accordingly, enabling edge boosting and voltage level shifting without the complexity of packet repeaters, allowing communication between devices with different supply and ground levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If hybrid repeaters are used to extend bus length, then communication distance is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary circuit is divided into separate functional blocks: signal conditioner circuitry for edge boosting, level shifter circuitry for voltage translation, and state detector and controller circuitry for mode detection. This segmentation allows each block to perform a specific function with simpler logic, avoiding the need for complex packet-level processing while still enabling bus extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential signal conditioning functions (edge boosting and voltage level shifting) from the full hybrid repeater functionality. By taking out just the necessary signal processing capabilities and eliminating packet decoding, error correction, and protocol handling, the circuit achieves bus extension with significantly reduced complexity.
2Length of stationary object
If hybrid repeaters are used to extend bus length, then communication distance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power consumption is reduced by segmenting the intermediary circuit into specialized blocks that perform only signal conditioning tasks. The signal conditioner uses simple edge-boosting circuitry rather than full packet repetition, and the level shifter uses straightforward voltage translation, both of which consume less power than complex hybrid repeater operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simpler, less expensive circuit implementations that sacrifice some functionality for lower power consumption. Instead of implementing full hybrid repeater logic with packet processing capabilities, the circuit uses basic signal conditioning components that are cheaper and consume less power, accepting that they can only extend bus length rather than provide full protocol handling.
3Use of energy by moving object
If eUSB2 is used for reduced power communication, then power consumption is reduced, but communication distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary circuit acts as a mediator between eUSB2 devices, receiving signals from one device and retransmitting them to another. The signal conditioner boosts signal edges to maintain integrity over longer distances, while the level shifter translates voltage levels to match different device domains, enabling extended communication while devices continue to operate in low-power eUSB2 mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local signal conditioning at the intermediary circuit location to extend communication distance. By placing edge-boosting circuitry and voltage translation at the midpoint of the extended bus, the system maintains signal quality locally at each segment while achieving global extension beyond what a single eUSB2 device could accomplish alone.
4Reliability
If signal conditioner circuitry is used for edge boosting, then signal integrity is improved, but circuit complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The signal conditioner applies edge boosting only to the specific signal transitions that need reinforcement, rather than processing entire packets. This localized approach to signal conditioning improves signal integrity at critical points in the transmission path without requiring complex global signal processing logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex digital signal processing (mechanical/system-level packet handling) with simpler analog or mixed-signal edge-boosting circuitry. By substituting the mechanical packet repetition approach with electrical edge-enhancement circuitry, the system achieves signal integrity improvement with reduced logical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit includes signal conditioner circuitry, level shifter circuitry, and state detector and controller circuitry coupled between the signal conditioner circuitry and the level shifter circuitry. The state detector and controller circuitry includes receiver circuitry and a finite state machine coupled to the receiver circuitry. The finite state machine is configured to detect a first data rate from signals, control operation of the signal conditioner circuitry responsive to detecting the first data rate, and control operation of the level shifter circuitry during a second data rate.