Phase detector devices and corresponding time-interleaving systems

A phase detector device for a time-interleaving (TI) system in a communication network, the phase detector device comprising:

• inputs configured to receive respective outputs from a plurality of TI devices, each of the respective outputs being generated by a respective one of the plurality of TI devices in accordance with a predetermined input pattern;
• and
• auto-correlation circuitry configured to determine at least one of time and phase misalignment between the respective outputs of the plurality of TI devices by
• comparing outputs generated by a selected one of the plurality of TI devices to outputs generated by each other TI device of the plurality of TI devices,
• determining, based on outputs expected in accordance with the predetermined input pattern, correlations between outputs generated by the selected one of the plurality of TI devices and the outputs generated by the each other TI devices of the plurality of TI devices, and
• determining at least one of time and phase differences between the outputs generated by the selected one of the plurality of TI devices and the outputs generated by the each other TI devices of the plurality of TI devices based on the determined correlations.

A multi-instance time-interleaving (TI) system, the system comprising:

• a plurality of TI devices, each of the plurality of TI devices includes a plurality of clock generation units (CGUs) coupled to an interleaver network, the plurality of CGUs being configured to generate respectively a plurality of clock signals from a clock source signal and to provide the plurality of clock signals to the interleaver network;
• and
• a phase detector device coupled to the plurality of TI devices and configured to i) generate a time grid for each of the plurality of clock signals of a reference TI device among the plurality of TI devices, the time grid comprising a plurality of delayed versions of the clock signal generated respectively by a plurality of buffers ii) determine phase differences between phase of each the plurality of clock signals of the reference TI device and respectively phases of the plurality of clock signals of each other TI device among the plurality of TI devices based on the time grids for the plurality of clock signals of the reference TI device, the determining of the phase differences comprising, for each of the plurality of clock signals of the reference TI device, comparing the plurality of delayed versions of the clock signal to one of the plurality of clock signals of each other TI device among the plurality of TI devices, and iii) align phases of the plurality of clock signals of each other TI device among the plurality of TI devices respectively with phases of the plurality of clock signals of the reference TI device.

A multi-instance time-interleaving (TI) system, the system comprising:

• a plurality of TI devices, each of the plurality of TI devices includes a plurality of clock generation units (CCUs) coupled to an interleaver network, the plurality of CGUs being configured to generate respectively a plurality of clock signals from a clock source signal and to provide the plurality of clock signals to the interleaver network,
• wherein the interleaver network of each of the plurality of TI devices is configured to receive a predetermined input and to produce a data output signal;
• and
• an auto-correlation device coupled to the plurality of TI devices,
• wherein the auto-correlation device is configured to i) receive to the data output signal of a reference TI device of the plurality of TI devices as a reference data output signal, ii) receive each of the data output signals of each other TI device among the plurality of TI devices as a target data output signal, iii) determine a phase correlation between the reference data output signal and the target data output signal, and iv) adjust phases of the plurality of clock signals of each other TI device until a respective phase correlation value reaches a maximum value that aligns the target data output signals to the reference data output signal.