Serializer Clock Delay Feedback for Drift Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art systems suffer from clock signal drift due to temperature, aging, and supply voltage variations, leading to misalignment and corruption of data signals in serializer and de-serializer operations.
Innovation Solution
A serializer clock delay optimization system that includes a multiplexer, a data monitor, and a delay controller to adjust the clock signal timing by generating a delay control signal based on the quality of the full-rate data signal, using a delay controller and memory to store look-up table values for precise timing adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed clock signal is used in serializer operations, then the system structure is simple, but clock signal drift occurs due to temperature, aging, and supply voltage variations leading to misalignment and corruption of data signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where a data monitor continuously evaluates the full-rate data signal quality and provides information to a delay controller. The delay controller adjusts the clock signal timing based on this feedback to compensate for drift caused by temperature, aging, and supply voltage variations, thereby maintaining accurate data signal alignment without requiring a completely complex timing control system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static fixed clock signal into a dynamic adjustable clock signal by introducing a delay controller that can modify the timing of the clock signal in response to detected signal quality conditions. This allows the system to adapt to changing environmental conditions while maintaining reliability
2Measurement precision
If clock signal timing is adjusted to compensate for drift, then data signal alignment accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional delay controller and monitoring components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment through the delay controller that automatically modifies clock signal timing based on quality information from the data monitor. This self-service mechanism improves sampling time accuracy without requiring external intervention or overly complex control systems, as the system monitors and corrects its own timing drift
3Reliability
If precise timing adjustments are implemented using delay controller and look-up table, then bit error rate is reduced, but the device complexity and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a look-up table that stores pre-calculated delay control values corresponding to different signal quality conditions. This preliminary preparation allows the delay controller to quickly retrieve appropriate timing adjustments without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby reducing bit error rate while minimizing the actual computational memory requirements during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A serializer clock delay optimization system comprising a multiplexer configured to receive two or more low-rate data signals and a multiplexer control signal. The multiplexer generates a full-rate data signal by combining the two or more low-rate data signals such that the multiplexer control signal determines sampling time of the low-rate data signals. A data monitor monitors and evaluates the full-rate data signal to generate a quality value representing the quality of the full-rate data signal. The quality of the full-rate data signal is based on the accuracy of the sampling time of the low-rate data signals. A delay controller processes the quality value to generate a delay control signal or value. A delay receives a clock signal and the delay control signal or value. Responsive to the delay control signal or value, the delay modifies the timing of the clock signal to create the multiplexer control signal.