Delay unit

• US 20080180182A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Etron Technology Inc
• Original Assignee: Etron Technology Inc
• Inventors: Chang, Yen-An, Lee, Ming-Fou
• Application Number:
  US11/657,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 331/57
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/265 with adjustable delay
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00247 using counters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0315 Ring oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/13 Arrangements having a single output and transforming input signals into pulses delivered at desired time intervals

Abstract

The present invention is related to a delay unit, and more particularly to a delay unit with respect to delay an input signal. The delay unit comprises a ring oscillator and a counter. The ring oscillator receives an input signal and generates a clock signal. The counter connects to the ring oscillator for receiving the clock signal and generating a delay signal. The delay signal feeds back to the ring oscillator to stop the ring oscillator, and the power consumed in the delay unit can be reduced. The ring oscillator comprises a plurality of inverters and the counter comprises a plurality of flip-flops, and the delay unit can generate an accurately and/or large delay time by changing the number of the inverters and/or the flip-flops.

Claims

1. A delay unit, comprising:

an oscillator for receiving an input signal and generating a clock signal; and

a counter connected to said oscillator for receiving said clock signal, generating a delay signal, and feeding back said delay signal to said oscillator.

2. The delay unit of claim 1, wherein said oscillator is a ring oscillator.

3. The delay unit of claim 2, wherein said ring oscillator comprises at least one inverter.

4. The delay unit of claim 3, wherein the number of said inverters is an odd number.

5. The delay unit of claim 2, wherein said ring oscillator comprises at least one amplifier.

6. The delay unit of claim 5, wherein the number of said amplifiers is one of odd number or even number.

7. The delay unit of claim 5, wherein said amplifier is one of a common source amplifier or a differential amplifier.

8. The delay unit of claim 2, wherein said ring oscillator comprises:

a logic gate for receiving said input signal and said delay signal from said counter; and

an even number of inverters connected to said logic gate in series for generating said clock signal.

9. The delay unit of claim 8, wherein said logic gate is a NOR gate.

10. The delay unit of claim 2, wherein said counter comprises at least one flip-flop.

11. The delay unit of claim 2, wherein said counter is a divider.

12. The delay unit of claim 2, further comprising a phase selector connected to said counter and said ring oscillator.

13. The delay unit of claim 12, wherein said ring oscillator comprises at least one inverter, and said phase selector is connected to the output of each said inverter.

14. The delay unit of claim 2, further comprising an inverter connected to said ring oscillator for receiving said input signal.