Programmable Spread Spectrum Pin Driver for EMI Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide data buses in memory chips generate significant electromagnetic radiation, leading to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and increased costs for managing radiated emissions, as traditional methods like PCB layout modifications become cumbersome and costly.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a programmable pin driver in integrated circuit memory chips that uses spread spectrum signals, adjustable drive strength, delay, and slew rate to customize signal characteristics, aided by an artificial intelligence engine to optimize performance and reduce EMI, energy consumption, and data transmission errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional PCB layout modifications and metal shielding are used to control electromagnetic radiation from wide data buses, then electromagnetic interference levels are reduced, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the frequency spectrum parameters of the clock signal by modulating it with a spread spectrum sequence. This spreads the energy across a wider frequency range, reducing peak emissions at any single frequency and thereby controlling electromagnetic radiation without requiring complex PCB layouts or shielding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful concentrated electromagnetic energy into a beneficial distributed spectrum. By intentionally spreading the signal energy across multiple frequencies, the system reduces peak emissions that cause interference while maintaining overall signal integrity and communication effectiveness.
2Productivity
If wide data buses are used to increase data transmission capacity, then productivity is improved, but electromagnetic radiation and interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the frequency domain parameters of the clock signal driving the wide data bus by applying spread spectrum modulation. This allows the system to maintain high data transmission capacity through the wide bus while redistributing the electromagnetic energy across a broader frequency spectrum, reducing peak radiation levels.
3Device complexity
If fixed frequency clock signals are used for data transmission, then device complexity is reduced, but electromagnetic interference at peak frequencies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the frequency parameters of the clock signal by modulating it with a pseudorandom spread spectrum sequence. This transforms the fixed frequency signal into a variable frequency signal that spreads energy across a spectrum, reducing peak emissions while adding only moderate complexity through the modulation mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A device having a plurality of pins configured to connect circuits within an integrated circuit package to circuits outside of the integrated circuit package. A driver enclosed within the package is programmable to generate a spread spectrum signal to represent data being transmitted from a pin of the device. Frequency distribution of the signal spreading over a bandwidth in a frequency domain can be programmed to customize the electromagnetic emission caused by the communication of data through the pin. The frequency spreading can be programmed to reduce energy consumption, electromagnetic interference, and/or errors in receiving the data transmitted via the pin. The settings can be programmed into registers enclosed in the integrated circuit package to control the driver and/or dynamically adjusted using an artificial intelligent engine to optimize a cost function.