Sink Device Clock Generation Without Reference Clock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In high-speed data transmission, the sink often lacks a reference clock, making it difficult to efficiently manage bidirectional channels and recover transmission clocks, especially as the number of channels increases, leading to complex configurations and reduced data transmission speed from sink to source.
Innovation Solution
A sink device generates a transmission clock without a reference clock by using a receiver to detect phase differences between reception and recovered clocks, allowing it to transmit return data to the source using a digital control oscillator code, thereby simplifying the data transmission process and omitting the clock recovery step.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sink includes a configuration for generating an additional transmission clock for bidirectional data transmission, then bidirectional communication is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sink's receiver is designed to perform multiple functions: it recovers the clock from incoming data and also generates the transmission clock for return data. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate transmission clock generator, reducing device complexity while maintaining bidirectional communication capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the clock recovery function and transmission clock generation function into a single integrated process within the receiver. By merging these functions and reusing the recovered clock signal, the system avoids duplicating clock generation hardware, thereby simplifying the overall device configuration
2Productivity
If the number of channels is increased for bidirectional communication, then data transmission capacity is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in arranging channels
Solution Approach 1:
The unidirectional channel is designed to serve dual purposes: forward data transmission from source to sink and return data transmission from sink to source. This multi-functional channel design increases data transmission capacity without requiring additional physical channels, thereby maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches the channel direction between forward and return modes. The channel can be flexibly allocated for different data directions based on communication needs, maximizing channel utilization and transmission capacity without the complexity of permanent multi-channel arrangements
3Measurement precision
If clock recovery process is performed for data transmission from sink to source, then data transmission accuracy is improved, but the loss of time increases due to additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The clock is recovered in advance during the forward data transmission phase, and this recovered clock is stored and reused for return data transmission. This preliminary clock recovery eliminates the need to perform clock recovery again during return transmission, saving time while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The recovered clock signal is continuously utilized for both forward and return data transmissions. By maintaining the clock signal availability across both transmission directions without interruption or re-generation, the system achieves continuous useful action, improving overall transmission efficiency and reducing time loss
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 enables bidirectional communication without the need for additional clock recovery processes, allowing for efficient data transmission from sink to source using a unidirectional channel as a bidirectional channel, maintaining data transmission efficiency even with increased channel numbers.
Implementation Method 1
a digital phase detector configured to detect the phase difference between a reception clock of a data signal received from a source and a recovered clock
Implementation Method 2
a time-to-digital converter configured to generate the digital control oscillator code by using the phase difference detected by the digital phase detector
Implementation Method 3
a first digital control oscillator configured to output the recovered clock by using the digital control oscillator code
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device for generating a transmission clock in a sink without a reference clock and a method of transmitting data from the sink to a source by use of the generated transmission clock are provided. The sink may include: a receiver configured to generate a digital control oscillator code by using a phase difference between a reception clock of a data signal received from a source and a recovered clock and configured to recover data from the data signal by using the recovered clock recovered by the generated digital control oscillator code; and a transmitter configured to generate a transmission clock by the digital control oscillator code having the recovered clock locked to the reception clock and configured to transmit return data to the source by using the transmission clock when a return data request identifier is received from the source.