Voltage-Frequency Crossing Circuits for Hidden Level-Shifting Delays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communicating data between different voltage and frequency domains in integrated circuit chips often results in propagation delays due to the need for voltage and frequency shifting, which can lead to performance degradation and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves combining voltage and frequency domain crossings in integrated circuits, embedding voltage isolation logic within the critical path of source-synchronous or asynchronous crossings to hide voltage shifting delays and mitigate propagation delays, allowing for efficient data communication between chiplets with different operating voltages and frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage and frequency domain crossings are performed separately, then data communication between different voltage and frequency domains is achieved, but propagation delays increase and system performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines voltage domain crossing and frequency domain crossing into a single integrated operation. The voltage isolation logic is embedded within the critical path of source-synchronous or asynchronous crossings, allowing voltage shifting to occur concurrently with frequency domain transitions rather than sequentially. This merging eliminates the additive delay effect and hides voltage shifting delays within the existing critical path, thereby reducing overall propagation delay while maintaining data communication reliability between chiplets operating at different voltages and frequencies.
2Loss of time
If voltage isolation logic is embedded within critical path, then propagation delays are hidden and reduced, but circuit complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage isolation logic is merged with the existing frequency domain crossing infrastructure. Rather than adding separate voltage shifting stages outside the critical path, the patent integrates voltage isolation functionality within the critical path of source-synchronous or asynchronous crossings. This integration allows the voltage shifting operation to share timing and control infrastructure with frequency domain transitions, reducing the need for additional independent control logic and minimizing the increase in overall circuit complexity while effectively hiding voltage shifting delays.
3Reliability
If separate clock domains are created for voltage and frequency shifting, then data integrity is maintained, but additional synchronization logic is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges voltage domain crossing and frequency domain crossing into a unified operation that shares timing and control infrastructure. By embedding voltage isolation logic within the critical path of source-synchronous or asynchronous crossings, the system maintains data integrity through the existing synchronization mechanisms already in place for frequency domain transitions. This approach eliminates the need for separate synchronization logic that would be required if voltage and frequency domain crossings were performed independently with separate clock domains.
Data Source
AI summary
When communicating data between different voltage and frequency domains, for example chiplets, in an integrated circuit, the data signals can be formatted to compensate for propagation delays and different operating frequencies between the domains, and the signaling voltage level of the formatted data signals can then be changed from the operating voltage of the transmitting domain to the operating voltage of the receiving domain so that the formatted and changed data signals can be transmitted. As such, voltage crossings are combined with frequency crossings, which can have the effect of hiding the voltage shifting within the propagation delays.