Signal Handling with Bit Truncation for Error-Tolerant Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hardware systems for signal handling in electronic devices face challenges with resource-intensive signal transmission and processing, prone to errors due to factors like bit errors, ground bounce, and cosmic rays, which demand more system resources and are not robust against faults.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a filter circuit for attenuating interested bands, a magnitude bit truncation circuit for reducing bit precision, and a utility circuit for handling truncated signals, which modulates signals to a rougher quantization resolution using sigma-delta modulation, thereby reducing resource requirements and enhancing error tolerance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If signal transmission and processing is performed with high precision (more bits per sample), then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bit precision parameter of the signal from high precision (more bits per sample) to low precision (fewer bits per sample). By transmitting and processing signals with reduced bit depth, the system decreases resource consumption including layout area, gate count, pin count, and power, while maintaining acceptable signal handling performance for the intended application
2Measurement precision
If signal transmission and processing is performed with high precision (more bits per sample), then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased susceptibility to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bit precision parameter to reduce susceptibility to errors. By using fewer bits per sample in signal transmission and processing, the system becomes more tolerant to bit errors, ground bounce, supply voltage fluctuation, simultaneous switching noise, and cosmic ray effects, thereby improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simplified signal representation using fewer bits, which is more robust to errors. The reduced precision signal can tolerate more errors before becoming unusable, effectively making the signal more 'disposable' in terms of error margin - it can withstand more degradation before failing its function
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces system resource demands and enhances error tolerance by transmitting and processing signals with fewer bits per sample, improving robustness against bit errors and faults, while maintaining the integrity of the desired signal information.
Implementation Method 1
a modulator (e.g., 110 or 210 in FIG. 1a or 2a) coupled between the target signal and the filter circuit, for modulating the target signal to a modulated signal (e.g., sm1 or sm2 in FIG. 1a or 2a) of a rougher quantization resolution, with noise shaping
Implementation Method 2
The filter circuit may be coupled to a target signal (e.g., si1, si2, si3 or si4 in FIG. 1a, 2a, 3 or 4) which contains one or more desired signals at one or more interested bands, for attenuating each said interested band to form a filtered signal
Implementation Method 3
The magnitude bit truncation circuit may be coupled to the filter circuit, for truncating one or more bits of each sample of the filtered signal to form a truncated signal
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a system improving signal handling, e.g., transmission and/or processing. In an embodiment, the system may include a filter circuit, a magnitude bit truncation circuit and a utility circuit. The filter circuit may be coupled to a target signal which contains one or more desired signals at one or more interested bands, for attenuating each said interested band to form a filtered signal. The magnitude bit truncation circuit may be coupled to the filter circuit, for truncating one or more bits of each sample of the filtered signal to form a truncated signal. The utility circuit may be coupled to the magnitude bit truncation circuit, for handling the truncated signal to implement handling of the target signal, so as to reduce resource requirement and enhance error tolerance comparing with directly handling the target signal.