Synchronization Circuit Timing Adjustment for Data Reception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Source-synchronous communications links at high data rates face challenges in maintaining optimal timing between received clock and data signals, leading to increased data reception errors, which existing complex and power-consuming error correction solutions cannot justify for short distances or parallel interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A data reception device with a stability detection circuit that generates error signals for data transitions before and after significant clock edges, and a control circuit that adjusts the sampling time by applying a time delay to either the data or clock signal based on these error signals, ensuring correct synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error correcting code is used to detect and correct errors in the received data signal, then the data reception error rate is reduced, but the device complexity and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential timing adjustment function from complex error correction systems. By using a simple delay element to adjust the sampling time of data signals based on detected timing errors, it achieves error reduction without implementing full error correcting code mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability improvement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the timing parameter (sampling time) of the data signal by adjusting the delay element's delay value. This parameter adjustment allows the system to optimize data sampling moments and reduce reception errors without adding complex error correction hardware, thus improving reliability while controlling device complexity
2Reliability
If error correcting code is implemented to correct timing-related errors, then data reception reliability improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the timing adjustment essence from power-consuming error correction systems. By using a simple delay element controlled by timing error detection, it achieves error reduction without implementing full error correcting code, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliability improvement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and power-consuming error correction hardware with a simple, low-cost delay element that consumes minimal power. This substitution achieves acceptable error reduction for short-distance communications without the high power consumption of comprehensive error correction systems
3Reliability
If the sampling time is adjusted to optimize data reception, then data reception error rate decreases, but the device complexity increases due to additional control circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the timing error detection and sampling time adjustment functions into an integrated control mechanism. The delay element is directly controlled by the timing error detection output, combining monitoring and adjustment functions in a simple feedback loop that reduces device complexity while achieving reliable sampling time optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own timing error detection capability to automatically control the delay element adjustment. The timing error detection circuit monitors its own output quality and self-adjusts the sampling time through the delay element without requiring external complex control, thereby reducing overall device complexity while improving reliability
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3A~4A
Figure 4B~5B
AI summary
The invention concerns a data reception device comprising: a first data input for receiving a first data signal (DATA) and a clock input for receiving a clock signal (CLK); and a stability detection circuit adapted to generate: a first error signal (ERROR_EARLY) indicating when a data transition of the first data signal occurs during a first period at least partially before a first significant clock edge of the clock signal (CLK); and a second error signal (ERROR_LATE) indicating when a data transition of the first data signal occurs during a second period at least partially after the first significant clock edge of the clock signal; and a control circuit (304) configured to generate a control signal (CTRL) for adjusting the sampling time of the first data signal based on said first and second error signals.