High-Speed Serializer With Fewer Latches for Lower Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional serializers consume excessive power due to a high number of circuit elements operating at high clock frequencies, making it desirable to minimize circuit elements and operate at lower clock frequencies for reduced power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The serializer design employs a minimal number of latches and generates slower clock signals on both edges of a fast clock signal, utilizing a two-stage multiplexing structure with clock signals CK2A, CK2B, and CK2BN for four inputs, and CK4A, CK4B, and CK4BN for eight inputs, to achieve efficient data multiplexing with low power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional serializers use a high number of circuit elements operating at high clock frequencies, then data transmission speed is improved, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The serializer is divided into multiple stages, with each stage handling a portion of the multiplexing task. This segmentation allows the use of slower clock frequencies at each stage while achieving the same overall data transmission rate, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining speed performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic clocking schemes where clock signals are generated on both edges of a fast clock signal, creating slower effective clock frequencies for the latches. This periodic action allows data to be transmitted at high speeds while the actual circuit elements operate at lower, more power-efficient frequencies.
2Reliability
If conventional serializers use an excessive number of latches, then data transmission reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary latches from the conventional serializer design. By carefully analyzing the data flow and timing requirements, the invention determines the minimal number of latches needed to maintain data transmission reliability, removing excess circuit elements that would otherwise consume power without providing additional functional benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the latches by clocking them on both edges of a fast clock signal, which generates slower effective clock frequencies. This parameter change allows the same reliability to be achieved with fewer latches operating at lower power-consuming frequencies.
3Speed
If conventional serializers operate at high clock frequencies, then data transmission speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent generates slower clock signals by utilizing both edges of a fast clock signal. This periodic action creates an effective lower frequency for the latches and multiplexers, reducing their power consumption while still achieving high data transmission speeds through the multiplexing architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the data transmission into multiple stages with intermediate latches, the patent allows each stage to operate at slower clock frequencies. The cumulative effect of multiple stages operating at lower frequencies achieves the same overall data rate as a single high-frequency stage, but with significantly reduced power consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to one embodiment, a high speed serializer (100) for multiplexing 2 N data input (D00, D10, D01, D11), N being a positive integer, comprises one less than 2N multiplexing cells (130a, 130b, 130c) arranged in N stages (110,120). The stages are numbered 1 through N, and the output of the N* stage is a serial transmission (Y) and the inputs of the 1st stage are the 2N data inputs. (D00.D01.D10,D11). Each stage comprises half as many multiplexing cells as the preceding stage. Additionally each multiplexing cell comprises a multiplexer (130a, 130b, 130c) that comprises a pair of inputs and an output. 2N-2 of the multiplexing cells in the first stage further comprise a latch (140) and the output of the latch is coupled to an input of the multiplexer (130c).