Ring Oscillator Timer for Low-Power Consecutive Cycle Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional timers consume significant electrical power and often fail to measure consecutive cycles of periodic waveforms effectively.
Innovation Solution
A ring oscillator-based timer circuit that includes a state capture register, edge-phase detector, and state encoders to capture and process the state of the ring oscillator, allowing for accurate measurement of the period and frequency of periodic signals by using a reference clock derived from the ring oscillator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional timers are used to measure periodic signal frequency, then frequency measurement capability is provided, but electrical power consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional timer circuits with a ring oscillator-based timing system. The ring oscillator generates periodic waveforms that are used to measure the frequency of input periodic signals, substituting traditional timer mechanisms with an oscillator-based approach that consumes less power while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes periodic waveforms generated by the ring oscillator to measure the frequency of input signals. By comparing the periodic output of the ring oscillator with the input periodic signal, the system achieves accurate frequency measurement through periodic sampling and counting, reducing the need for continuous high-power operation.
2Productivity
If conventional timers are used to measure periodic signals, then frequency measurement is possible, but consecutive cycles cannot be measured effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The ring oscillator continuously generates periodic waveforms that can track and measure consecutive cycles of the input periodic signal. The continuous oscillation allows the system to maintain measurement of multiple consecutive cycles without interruption, improving productivity while preserving measurement precision through continuous sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the ring oscillator's output is compared with the input periodic signal, and the measured frequency information is fed back to adjust and maintain accurate measurement of consecutive cycles. This feedback ensures that measurement precision is maintained across multiple cycles.
3Measurement precision
If ring oscillator state is captured at periodic signal edges, then frequency measurement accuracy is improved, but setup and hold timing issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary circuitry between the ring oscillator state capture and the periodic signal edge detection. This intermediary mechanism buffers and synchronizes the timing signals, allowing accurate frequency measurement at signal edges while preventing setup and hold timing violations by decoupling the critical timing paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit includes a ring oscillator and a state capture register to receive a multi-bit state of the ring oscillator captured upon occurrence of an edge of input periodic signal. The circuit also includes an edge-phase detector to assert an edge detect high signal in response to a first reference clock derived from the ring oscillator being high upon occurrence of the edge of the input periodic signal and to assert an edge detect low signal in response to the first reference clock derived from the ring oscillator being low upon occurrence of the edge of the input periodic signal. A first register receives data from the state capture register upon occurrence of one of a rising or falling edge of a second clock derived from the ring oscillator.