RF Front-End Serial Communication Reducing Chip Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the complexity of radio frequency front-end applications increases, the number of required chips and GPIO control signal lines grows, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity with the use of MIPI interfaces for communication between chips, reducing internal communication efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A serial communication apparatus and method that connects a radio frequency front-end module to radio frequency devices via multiple signal buses, allowing for efficient parallel or cascaded serial transmission of valid SIPI data, using detection circuits, clock generation circuits, and power-on reset circuits to manage and decode control information, thereby simplifying communication and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If MIPI interfaces are adopted for communication between chips, then communication capability is improved, but device complexity increases and internal communication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication interface into two distinct parts: a simplified input interface with only two input terminals (I/O1, I/O2) for each chip, and a corresponding output interface with two output terminals. This segmentation reduces the complexity of each individual chip interface while maintaining the overall communication capability through the coordinated operation of these simplified interfaces across multiple chips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal interface structure that can be applied to all chips in the radio frequency front-end module. Each chip uses the same simplified two-terminal input and output interfaces, allowing for standardized communication across different chip types. This universality reduces design complexity and enables efficient internal communication without requiring chip-specific custom interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of GPIO control signal lines is increased to control more chip states, then control capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control functions into a unified serial communication interface. Instead of using separate GPIO lines for different control purposes, the invention combines clock signals, data signals, and control signals into a single serial communication protocol transmitted through the simplified two-terminal interfaces. This merging reduces the number of physical signal lines while maintaining comprehensive control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional parallel GPIO control mechanism with a serial communication mechanism. Instead of using multiple parallel signal lines for control, the invention uses a serial transmission protocol that encodes control information sequentially over time. This substitution reduces the physical number of signal lines while maintaining or improving control capability through more efficient signal utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a serial communication apparatus and a serial communication method. The serial communication apparatus comprises a radio frequency front-end module and a radio frequency device, a first input interface and a second input interface of the radio frequency front-end module being correspondingly connected to output interfaces of a main control module, a first output interface of the radio frequency front-end module being connected to a first input interface of the at least one radio frequency device via a first signal bus, a second output interface of the radio frequency front-end module being connected to a second input interface of the at least one radio frequency device via a second signal bus. The present invention satisfies requirements for convenient and rapid unidirectional communication between various chips of the radio frequency front-end module and inside the chips, reduces communication complexity, and increases transmission efficiency.