Variable Capacitor Transition Control via Intermediate Values
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digitally-tuned tunable capacitors experience sudden changes in capacitance, leading to undesired effects such as overshoot and spur in voltage-controlled oscillators and amplitude and phase discontinuities in closed loop impedance tuning, which can disrupt signal decoding.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that store multiple capacitance values and use control circuitry to create additional values between them, allowing for a gradual transition from one capacitance to another, thereby avoiding sudden changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If digitally-tuned tunable capacitors use switches to add or reduce component capacitors, then the capacitance can be adjusted between discrete states, but sudden changes in capacitance value occur causing overshoot and spur in voltage-controlled oscillators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a large capacitance change into multiple smaller incremental steps by introducing intermediate capacitance values between the initial and target states. The control circuit generates a sequence of intermediate values that are applied progressively, segmenting the transition to avoid sudden changes that cause overshoot and spur in VCOs.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit预先 generates a sequence of intermediate capacitance values before executing the transition. By preparing the gradual transition path in advance, the system can smoothly guide the capacitance change without abrupt jumps, preventing harmful effects in voltage-controlled oscillators.
2Adaptability or versatility
If digitally-tuned tunable capacitors use switches to add or reduce component capacitors, then the capacitance can be adjusted between discrete states, but large impedance changes occur causing amplitude and phase discontinuity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments large impedance changes into multiple smaller steps by introducing intermediate capacitance values. This gradual transition prevents abrupt impedance variations that would cause amplitude and phase discontinuities, maintaining signal stability during capacitance adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit ensures continuous adjustment of capacitance through a sequence of intermediate values rather than discrete jumps. This continuous action maintains impedance stability and prevents signal discontinuities in amplitude and phase during the transition.
3Speed
If capacitance transitions directly from one state to another, then the transition is fast and simple, but signal decoding is interrupted due to amplitude and phase discontinuity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the capacitance transition into multiple intermediate steps, which extends the transition time but ensures signal decoding continuity. Each small step maintains impedance stability, preventing interruptions in signal decoding while still achieving the capacitance change efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit implements continuous capacitance adjustment through intermediate values, maintaining signal integrity throughout the transition. This continuous action ensures that amplitude and phase remain stable, allowing uninterrupted signal decoding even during capacitance changes.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and associated method are provided involving one or more registers configured to store a plurality of values including a first value corresponding with a first capacitance, and a second value corresponding with a second capacitance. Further included is a decoder configured to decode the values into corresponding capacitive settings. Also included is one or more capacitive elements in electrical communication with the decoder. Such one or more capacitive elements are configured to exhibit different capacitances, based on the capacitive settings. Also included is control circuitry in electrical communication with the decoder and the one or more registers. Such control circuitry is configured to control a transition of the capacitance of the one or more capacitive elements from the first capacitance to the second capacitance, by creating a plurality of additional values between the first value and the second value for being decoded by the decoder.