Circuit and method to set delay between two periodic signals with unknown phase relationship
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorsRobert Wang, Zhuobin Li, Navid Yaghini, Hemesh Yasotharan, Clifford Ting
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Abstract
A circuit and method are provided for setting a phase relationship between a first signal and a second signal having a known frequency relationship to a master signal but having an unknown phase relationship to each other. One or more phase signals is generated based on the master signal, the phase signals having different phases from each other. One of these phase signals is selected based on the phase of the first signal and a target phase delay between the first signal and second signal. The second signal is generated based on the phase and frequency of the selected phase signal.
Claims20
A circuit for setting a phase delay between a first signal and a second signal to a target phase delay, the first signal and second signal having a frequency relationship to a master signal, comprising:
- a phase signal generator for receiving the master signal and generating one or more output signals based on the master signal;
- and
- a phase select logic for:
- receiving an enabling trigger signal having a phase relationship to the first signal;
- and
- selecting one of the one or more phase signal generator output signals based on the enabling trigger signal and the target phase delay;
- and
- a second signal generator for generating the second signal based on the phase of the selected phase signal generator output signal.
A method for setting a phase delay between a first signal and a second signal to a target phase delay, the first signal and second signal having a frequency relationship to a master signal, comprising:
- generating one or more output signals based on the master signal;
- selecting one of the one or more output signals based on the first signal and the target phase delay;
- and
- generating the second signal based on the phase of the selected one of the one or more output signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.