Spread spectrum isolator

• US 20050272378A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Dupuis, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.150
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48095 Kinked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49503 characterised by the die pad
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4952 the additional leads being a bump or a wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49575 Assemblies of semiconductor devices on lead frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/06 of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 : Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1204 : Optical Diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 : LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 : Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 : with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 : Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling

Abstract

A circuit package includes first and second units containing functional circuitry. At least one RF isolation link interconnects the first and second units and provides voltage isolation between the first and second units. The RF isolation link provides data between the first unit and the second unit using an RF carrier signal that sweeps between a first frequency and a second frequency.

Claims

1. A circuit package, comprising:

a first unit containing functional circuitry;

a second unit containing functional circuitry; and

at least one RF isolation link interconnecting the first and the second unit, the RF isolation link providing voltage isolation between the first unit and the second unit, wherein the RF isolation link further provides data between the first unit and the second unit using an RF carrier signal, the RF carrier signal having a frequency that changes with time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF isolation link further comprises:

a first transformer on the first unit;

a second transformer on the second unit;

a transmitter associated with the first transformer for transmitting the RF carrier onto the RF isolation link;

a receiver associated with the second transformer for receiving the RF carrier on the RF isolation link; and

circuitry for generating the RF carrier signal having a frequency that changes with time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the circuitry for generating the RF carrier signal further comprises:

a slow ring oscillator;

a divider circuit connected to the slow ring oscillator for generating a control code; and

an LC oscillator circuit responsive to the control code from the divider circuit for generating the RF carrier signal, wherein the control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the circuitry for generating the RF carrier signal further comprises:

an LC oscillator circuit for generating the RF carrier signal responsive to a control code, wherein the control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies; and

a divider circuit connected in a feedback loop with the LC oscillator for generating the control code.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the circuitry for generating the RF carrier signal further comprises:

a slow ring oscillator;

a circuit for randomly generating a control code responsive to an input from the slow ring oscillator; and

an LC oscillator circuit responsive to the randomly generated control code for generating the RF carrier signal, wherein the randomly generated control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the circuit further comprises:

a divider circuit for providing a clock signal;

a shift register for providing a plurality of output bits responsive to the clock signal and a data signal;

logic circuitry for generating the data signal responsive to a first portion of the plurality of output bits; and

wherein the randomly generated control code comprises a second portion of the plurality of output bits.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the shift register further comprises a de Bruijn counter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit comprises a chip.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit comprises a die on a chip.

10. A circuit package, comprising:

a first unit containing functional circuitry;

a second unit containing functional circuitry;

a first transformer on the first unit;

a second transformer on the second unit;

a transmitter associated with the first transformer for transmitting a stepped RF carrier signal onto an RF isolation link between the first unit and the second unit;

a receiver associated with the second transformer for receiving the stepped RF carrier signal over the RF isolation link; and

circuitry associated with the first unit for generating the stepped RF carrier signal, wherein the stepped RF carrier signal sweeps between a first frequency and a second frequency.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry for generating the stepped RF carrier signal further comprises:

a slow ring oscillator;

a divider circuit connected to the slow ring oscillator for generating a control code; and

an LC oscillator circuit responsive to the control code from the divider circuit for generating the stepped RF carrier signal, wherein the control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies from the first frequency to the second frequency.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry for generating the stepped RF carrier signal further comprises:

a slow ring oscillator;

a circuit for randomly generating a control code responsive to an input from the slow ring oscillator; and

an LC oscillator circuit responsive to the randomly generated control code for generating the stepped RF carrier signal, wherein the randomly generated control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies from the first frequency to the second frequency.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuit further comprises:

a divider circuit for providing a clock signal;

a shift register for providing a plurality of output bits responsive to the clock signal and a data signal;

logic circuitry for generating the data signal responsive to a first portion of the plurality of output bits; and

wherein the randomly generated control code comprises a second portion of the plurality of output bits.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the shift register further comprises a de Bruijn counter.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the unit comprises a chip.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the unit comprises a die on a chip.

17. A circuit package, comprising:

a first unit containing functional circuitry;

a second unit containing functional circuitry;

a first transformer on the first unit;

a second transformer on the second unit;

a transmitter associated with the first transformer for transmitting a stepped RF carrier onto an isolation link between the first unit and the second unit;

a receiver associated with the second transformer for receiving the stepped RF carrier over the isolation link;

a slow ring oscillator;

a divider circuit for providing a clock signal;

a shift register for providing a plurality of output bits responsive to the clock signal and a data signal a first portion of the plurality comprising a randomly generated control code;

logic circuitry for generating the data signal responsive to a second portion of the plurality of output bits; and

an RC oscillator circuit responsive to the randomly generated control code for generating the stepped RF carrier signal, wherein the stepped RF carrier signal sweeps between a first frequency and a second frequency and the randomly generated control code causes the generation of one of a plurality of frequencies from the first frequency to the second frequency.

19. The system of claim 19, wherein the unit comprises a chip.

18. The system of claim 19, wherein the control code comprises a four-bit control code.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the unit comprises a die on a chip.