Reset Skew Error Identification Using Timer Thresholds
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Reset propagation skew in electronic systems leads to false identification of communication errors, as components closer to the reset initiation point may complete their reset operations before those further away, causing spurious activity to be misinterpreted as errors by more distant components.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a timer to log the receipt of the reset indicator and comparing its value with a predetermined threshold to differentiate between actual communication errors and reset artifacts, allowing for accurate error logging and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reset indicator is transmitted via communications path to electronic components, then reset operation is initiated across the system, but reset propagation skew causes components at different distances to receive the reset indicator at different times, resulting in false communication error identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (error identification circuit and timing analysis) that mediates between the reset indicator transmission and error detection. This intermediary analyzes the timing relationship between reset indicator reception and spurious activity detection, preventing false error identification by determining whether activity occurred during the reset propagation period.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a reference timing mechanism before error analysis. The system pre-determines the expected reset propagation time across the communications path, allowing it to proactively identify and filter out spurious activity that occurs within this predetermined time window, rather than reacting to errors after they are logged.
2Speed
If components closer to initiation point process reset indicator first, then reset operation propagates through the system, but spurious activity from early-processing components appears as communication errors to later-processing components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of reset propagation skew into a beneficial diagnostic tool. By measuring the time difference in reset indicator reception between components, the system can actually determine the propagation characteristics of the reset signal and use this information to identify which spurious activity is legitimate reset processing versus actual errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the timing relationship between reset indicator reception and subsequent communications path activity. The system uses this feedback to dynamically adjust error identification, comparing actual activity timing against expected reset propagation timing to determine whether to flag activity as an error or as legitimate reset processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic system includes a counter and a first component. The first component includes a reset input configured to receive a reset event, an interface to a communications interface coupleable to a second component, an error detection module configured to initiate the counter in response to detecting an error in a first communication from the second component, and an event logging module. The event logging module is configured to store a first indicator representative of the counter value of the counter in response to receiving the reset event via the reset input and configured to store a second indicator representative of the error at the communications interface. The counter is initiated at the first component in response to detecting an error in a first communication from the second component. A counter value of the counter is determined in response to detecting a reset event at the first component subsequent to detecting the error in the first communication. A first indicator representative of the counter value and a second indicator representative of the error in the first communication is stored at the electronic system.