Stepped delay control of integrated switches
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorRichard V. George
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated switching device, such as an RF attenuator, can be controlled to be in various states according to control bits of a control signal. The integrated switching device can be gradually transitioned from one state to another by staggering the timing of changing the control bits. Latch-up problems in the integrated switching device can thereby be reduced or prevented.
Claims16
A method of controlling an integrated circuit to transition from a first control state to a second control state, the integrated circuit comprising a plurality of switches that control processing of a received signal, the integrated circuit being controlled to be in the first and second control states in response to receiving a control signal comprising a plurality of control bits, wherein each of the plurality of control bits controls a switch state for a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches, the first control state being represented by a first plurality of control bits and the second control state being represented by a second plurality of control bits at least partially different from the first plurality of control bits, the method comprising:
- controlling the integrated circuit to be in the first state by driving the plurality of switches with the first plurality of control bits;
- and
- controlling the integrated circuit to be in the second state by driving the plurality of switches with the second plurality of control bits at different times, such that at least a first one of the second plurality of control bits is controlled to arrive at a first one or more of the plurality of switches at a different time than that of at least a second one of the second plurality of control bits,
- wherein the time at which the at least a second one of the second plurality of control bits arrives at a second one or more of the plurality of switches is controlled to be different enough from the time at which the at least a first one of the second plurality of control bits arrives at a first one or more of the plurality of switches so as to avoid a latch-up problem when the integrated circuit changes states.
At least one computer storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, perform a method of controlling an RF attenuator to transition from a first control state to a second control state, the RF attenuator comprising a plurality of switches that control processing of a received signal, the RF attenuator being controlled to be in the first and second control states in response to receiving a control signal comprising a plurality of control bits, wherein each of the plurality of control bits controls a switch state for a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches, the first control state being represented by a first plurality of control bits and the second control state being represented by a second plurality of control bits at least partially different from the first plurality of control bits, the method comprising:
- controlling the RF attenuator to be in the first state by driving the plurality of switches with the first plurality of control bits;
- and
- controlling the RF attenuator to be in the second state by driving the plurality of switches with the second plurality of control bits at different times, such that at least a first one of the second plurality of control bits is controlled to arrive at one or more of the plurality of switches at a different time than that of at least a second one of the second plurality of control bits,
- wherein each of the plurality of switches controls activation of a respective attenuation element of the RF attenuator.
A circuit for controlling an integrated circuit to transition from a first control state to a second control state, the integrated circuit comprising a plurality of switches that control processing of a received signal, the integrated circuit being controlled to be in the first and second control states in response to receiving a control signal comprising a plurality of control bits, wherein each of the plurality of control bits controls a switch state for a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches, the first control state being represented by a first plurality of control bits and the second control state being represented by a second plurality of control bits at least partially different from the first plurality of control bits, the circuit comprising:
- a control unit to generate the control signal, the control signal comprising the second plurality of control bits;
- and
- at least one control terminal coupled to the control unit to provide the second plurality of control bits to the plurality of switches at different times, wherein at least a first one of the second plurality of control bits arrives at one or more of the plurality of switches at a different time than that of at least a second one of the second plurality of control bits,
- wherein the integrated circuit comprises an RF attenuator comprising a plurality of attenuation elements, wherein each control bit of the control signal controls activation of one of the attenuation elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.