Voltage Conversion Circuit with Stable Transition Delay
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Dynamic voltage-scaling techniques in mobile devices lead to voltage differences between functional blocks, causing leakage currents and distortions in signal transitions, resulting in clock skew and reduced performance in voltage conversion circuits.
Innovation Solution
A voltage conversion circuit with complementary first and second level-shifting units, each with multiple signal transmission stages, operates in specific transition delay characteristics to maintain consistent up and down-transition delays, thereby preserving the duty ratio of clock signals despite voltage variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If dynamic voltage-scaling is applied to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but voltage differences between functional blocks cause leakage currents and signal transition distortions
Solution Approach 1:
A voltage conversion circuit is introduced as an intermediary component between functional blocks operating at different voltages. This circuit includes level-shifting units that convert voltage levels while maintaining signal integrity, allowing DVS to be implemented without causing leakage currents or signal distortions between blocks with different operating voltages.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage conversion circuit dynamically adjusts voltage level parameters between different functional blocks. By changing the voltage conversion ratio based on operational requirements, the system can implement DVS while maintaining proper signal transitions and avoiding leakage currents through controlled parameter adjustment.
2Use of energy by moving object
If different voltages are applied to functional blocks for power economization, then energy efficiency is improved, but interface operational performance deteriorates due to voltage differences
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage conversion circuit serves as an intermediary interface between functional blocks operating at different voltages. It includes level-shifting units that translate voltage levels while preserving signal integrity, enabling seamless communication and operation between blocks with different voltage domains without degrading interface performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the circuit into separate voltage domains with dedicated voltage conversion circuits between them. Each functional block operates independently at its optimized voltage level, and the conversion circuits handle the interfacing, allowing power economization without compromising interface operational performance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If voltage levels are varied for dynamic voltage-scaling, then power consumption is reduced, but transition delays become inconsistent causing clock skew
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage conversion circuit dynamically adjusts voltage conversion parameters to compensate for transition delay variations. By changing the conversion ratio and timing parameters based on the operational state, the circuit maintains consistent transition delays across different voltage conditions, preventing clock skew while enabling DVS for power reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage conversion circuit changes an input signal of a first voltage into an output signal of a second voltage. The circuit includes an input terminal receiving an input signal, an output terminal generating an output signal, and first and second level-shifting units connected in parallel between the input and output terminals. The first and second level-shifting units have different transition delay characteristics, enabling rising and falling transition delays to be variable in the same ratio when the first and second voltages are changed.