Method And Apparatus For Iterative Synchronization Of Two Or More Electronic Devices

• US 20140219269A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vleugels, Katelijn, Thompson, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/16 Multiplexed systems, i.e. using two or more similar devices which are alternately accessed for enqueue and dequeue operations, e.g. ping-pong buffers
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/06 Synchronising arrangements for television systems H04N5/04; bit-synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0664 unidirectional timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization

Abstract

Dynamic adjustment of offset between timebases of separated electronic circuits is provided based on an amount of time between synchronization events, wherein a synchronization event is an event involving communication across a separation between the separated electronic circuits in order to synchronize the timebases. The dynamic adjustment can be dynamically or adaptively adjusting a margin of error to account for drift that may have occurred since a prior synchronization event. Adjustments might be done by applying a learning sequence to quantify and adjust for static or slowly varying delays between the timebases and coordinating the timebases using output of the learning sequence. The learning sequence might quantify and adjust for static or slowly varying delays and frequency drift in a communication system having a master timebase device and slave timebase devices wherein slave timebase devices are configured to adjust their local timebases to coincide with the master timebase by obtaining timing/synchronization information during one or more events, the events being communication and/or synchronization events, analyzing the timing/synchronization information to derive timing errors due to system nonidealities, and applying timing correction based on timing errors derived by the analyzing.

Claims

1. A method of providing for a dynamic adjustment of offset between timebases of separated electronic circuits based on an amount of time between synchronization events, wherein a synchronization event is an event involving communication across a separation between the separated electronic circuits in order to synchronize the timebases.

2-25. -25. (canceled)