Receiver Circuit Error Detection Using Time Period Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In high volume and low cost applications, particularly in communication systems for vehicles, there is a challenge to balance high throughput, simple architecture, and robustness against signal distortions caused by environmental and electrical influences, such as capacitively coupled electric impulses and water, which can lead to signal degradation.
Innovation Solution
A receiver circuit that determines time periods between signal transitions and generates an error signal if these periods do not meet a predetermined verification relationship, allowing for easy detection of distortions and improving operational safety without complex circuitry, using pulse width encoded signals and potentially shared or identical receiver and error detection circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust protocol with error detection is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitter pre-calculates and embeds verification values (checksums or redundancy bits) into the signal before transmission. These verification elements are prepared in advance based on the data to be transmitted, allowing the receiver to detect errors without requiring complex real-time analysis during signal reception.
Solution Approach 2:
A verification mechanism acts as an intermediary between the transmitted data and the receiver's interpretation. This intermediary layer (checksum calculation, parity bits, or validation logic) mediates the detection of distortions by comparing received signals against expected patterns, simplifying the overall architecture while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If error detection mechanisms are added, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The error detection mechanism applies partial verification to only the critical portions of the signal or uses lightweight validation methods (such as simple parity checks or checksums) rather than exhaustive analysis. This partial action approach provides sufficient operational safety while minimizing the time overhead and maintaining high data throughput.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple architecture is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes key parameters of the signal encoding, such as using pulse width modulation with specific time period relationships or incorporating predetermined verification patterns into the signal structure. These parameter changes enable simple circuit implementation while providing inherent error detection capabilities through the modified signal characteristics.
4Productivity
If pulse width encoding is used, then productivity is improved, but susceptibility to distortions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver measures the actual time periods of received pulse signals and compares them against expected time period relationships that were predetermined by the transmitter. This feedback mechanism detects distortions caused by environmental factors (such as capacitively coupled electric impulses or water influence) by identifying deviations from the expected time period patterns, allowing error detection while maintaining high-speed pulse width encoding.
Data Source
AI summary
A receiver according to an embodiment includes a receiver circuit to receive a transition in a first direction, a second transition after the first transition in a second direction, and a third transition after the second transition in the first direction and a fourth transition in the second direction of a signal. The receiver circuit is adapted to determine a first time period between the first and third transitions and to determine a second time period between the second and fourth transitions. The receiver circuit is adapted to determine a datum based on at least one of the first time period and the second time period. Furthermore, the receiver is adapted to indicate an error, if the determined first and second time periods do not fulfil a predetermined verification relationship.