Superconducting Isochronous Receiver With Overlapping Phase Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Superconducting computer systems face challenges in isochronous communication due to unknown or arbitrary phase relations between clock signals for transmission and reception, particularly in systems like reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) where clock recovery is precluded by using the clock signal as a power source.
Innovation Solution
An isochronous receiver system with a pulse receiver and a phase converter system that splits input data signals into multiple pulse signals, aligning them with overlapping sampling windows across the AC clock signal phases, allowing for phase-aligned output signals through digital logic alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If clock signal is used as power source in superconducting logic (RQL), then power efficiency is improved, but clock recovery capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver system segments the clock signal processing into multiple parallel phase converters, each handling a specific phase relationship. This allows the system to process multiple possible phase offsets simultaneously without requiring active clock recovery, maintaining power efficiency while enabling reliable data reception despite arbitrary phase relations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs excessive phase sampling by implementing more phase converters than strictly necessary (covering all possible phase relationships). This excessive action ensures that regardless of the actual phase relation between transmitter and receiver clock signals, at least one converter will be properly synchronized, eliminating the need for precise clock recovery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple phase converters with overlapping sampling windows are implemented, then phase alignment capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase converter system is segmented into multiple independent converter units, each handling a specific sampling window. This modular segmentation allows the system to achieve comprehensive phase coverage while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized, repeatable units that can be systematically combined.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple phase converters with overlapping sampling windows are merged into a unified receiver system. The overlapping windows are deliberately combined to ensure continuous phase coverage, where the output of multiple converters is integrated to handle arbitrary phase relationships between transmitter and receiver clock signals.
3Reliability
If overlapping sampling windows are used across AC clock signal phases, then reliability under varying phase conditions is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements excessive sampling coverage by creating overlapping sampling windows that extend beyond the minimum required coverage. This excessive action ensures that under any phase condition, multiple converters are actively sampling, providing redundant coverage that enhances reliability while the overlap naturally handles phase variations without additional control complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
One example includes an isochronous receiver system. The system includes a pulse receiver configured to receive an input data signal from a transmission line and to convert the input data signal to a pulse signal. The system also includes a converter system comprising a phase converter system. The phase converter system includes a plurality of pulse converters associated with a respective plurality of sampling windows across a period of an AC clock signal. At least two of the sampling windows overlap at any given phase of the AC clock signal, such that the converter system is configured to generate an output pulse signal that is phase-aligned with at least one of a plurality of sampling phases of the AC clock signal based on associating the pulse signal with at least two of the sampling windows.