Apparatus and method for reliably clocking a signal with arbitrary phase
AssigneePanasonic Technologies, Inc.
InventorsKenneth E. Vavreck, Lee R. Dischert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A clocking circuit and method for phasing a signal with an unknown phase to a clock signal includes a time requirement duration (TRD) signal which has two states and the duration of one of the states is indicative of a combined setup and hold time requirement for the storage device intended to capture the unknown phase signal. The TRD signal is then clocked as a function of the unknown phase signal and called a toggle clock phase (TCP) signal. The TCP signal is then used to modify the phase of a clock enable for the storage device signal to ensure adequate setup and hold time for the clocking of the unknown phase signal.
Claims7
A clocking circuit for clocking a signal with an unknown phase comprising:
- clock generation and rephase means for receiving a primary clock (CLK) signal and for producing a clock enable (CE) signal and a time requirement duration (TRD) signal, the TRD signal may be in first and second states;
- means for clocking the unknown phase signal as a function of the CS signal and the CLK signal to produce a clocked unknown phase signal, wherein a duration of the first state of the TRD signal is indicative of a time requirement for the means for clocking the unknown phase signal;
- means for clocking the TRD signal as a function of the unknown phase signal to produce a toggle clock phase (TCP) signal;
- means for modifying the phase of the CS signal as a function of the state of the TCP signal to ensure adequate time for clocking of the unknown phase signal in the means for clocking the unknown phase signal.
A method for clocking a signal with an unknown phase comprising the steps of:
- processing a primary clock (CLK) signal and a clock phase (CP) signal to produce a clock enable (CE) signal and time requirement duration (TRD) signal therefrom, wherein the TED signal has a first and second state, a duration of the first state of the TRD signal is indicative of a time requirement for clocking of the unknown phase signal;
- clocking the unknown phase signal as a function of the CE signal and the CLK signal to produce a clocked unknown phase signal;
- and
- clocking the TRD signal as a function of the unknown phase signal to produce a toggle clock phase (TCP) signal;
- modifying the phase of the CE signal as a function of the state of the TCP signal to ensure adequate time for the clocking of the unknown phase signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.