Shift-Register Phase Mixer for Faster DDLL Fine Delay Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed electronic systems face challenges in synchronizing clock signals across components due to manufacturing variations and environmental factors, leading to significant phase differences, which can prolong the time required to achieve a locked condition in clock generator circuits.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a clock generator circuit with an adjustable delay line and a phase mixer circuit that uses a shift register to quickly adjust the fine phase delay, allowing for faster locking by adjusting the weighting of input clocks, thereby reducing the time needed to achieve synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional fine delay adjustment mechanism is used in a DDLL circuit, then the circuit can achieve phase synchronization, but the locking time is prolonged due to incremental adjustment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The delay adjustment range is segmented into multiple discrete steps, each controlled by individual control signals. This allows the phase mixer to jump between different delay configurations rather than adjusting incrementally, significantly reducing locking time while maintaining precise phase control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The phase mixer circuit dynamically reconfigures the weighting of input clock signals based on control signals. The delay adjustment is made dynamic and adaptive, allowing the circuit to quickly respond to phase differences and achieve locking without being constrained by fixed incremental adjustment mechanisms
2Measurement precision
If manufacturing parameters and environmental factors are controlled to minimize phase differences, then synchronization accuracy improves, but the complexity of maintaining consistent conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase mixer circuit automatically compensates for phase differences by detecting the phase relationship between clock signals and adjusting its internal delay accordingly. The system serves itself by continuously monitoring and correcting phase errors without requiring external intervention or complex environmental control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit changes its internal delay parameter dynamically based on the detected phase difference. Rather than controlling external environmental factors, the system adapts its internal timing parameters to compensate for variations, simplifying the overall system while maintaining high synchronization accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods for adjusting a phase mixer circuit are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a shift register that includes a plurality of registers coupled in series to one another. The plurality of registers are grouped into a first group of registers and a second group of registers. The first group of registers includes first and second registers. The second group of registers includes a third register. The first and second registers of the first group of registers are configured to receive in common an output of the third register of the second group of registers so that both the first and second registers store the output of the third register responsive to a shift clock.