Apparatus and method for adjusting the skew of a timing signal using propagation delay time of signals generated by a ring oscillator forming a digital circuit
First Claim
1. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal supply path for supplying a timing signal to a digital circuit, comprising:
- first delay means provided on the timing signal supply path;
propagation delay time adjustment means provided on the timing signal supply path for adjusting a propagation delay time of the timing signal supply path;
second delay means connected to an output terminal of said propagation delay time adjustment means and an input terminal of said first delay means; and
selection means for selectively forming a first loop circuit operating as a ring oscillator, the first loop circuit including said first delay means said second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means the first loop circuit having a first propagation delay time, or a second loop circuit operating as a ring oscillator, the second loop circuit including said first delay means and said second delay means, the second loop circuit having a second propagation delay time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
When a selector selects a first input terminal, a first loop circuit is formed including first and second input buffer circuits and an output buffer circuit. When the selector selects a second input terminal, a second loop circuit is formed including the first input buffer circuit and the output buffer circuit. When the selector selects a third input terminal, a third loop circuit is formed including the first input buffer circuit, a variable delay line (VDL), and the output buffer circuit. From the oscillating frequencies of loop circuits each formed as a ring oscillator, their respective signal delay times are obtained. By equalizing characteristics of first and second input buffer circuits, through a mutual operation using the signal delay times of respective loop circuits, a propagation delay time over a timing signal supply path including the first input buffer circuit and the VDL and stretching to a flip-flop is obtained precisely.
74 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal supply path for supplying a timing signal to a digital circuit, comprising:
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first delay means provided on the timing signal supply path; propagation delay time adjustment means provided on the timing signal supply path for adjusting a propagation delay time of the timing signal supply path; second delay means connected to an output terminal of said propagation delay time adjustment means and an input terminal of said first delay means; and selection means for selectively forming a first loop circuit operating as a ring oscillator, the first loop circuit including said first delay means said second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means the first loop circuit having a first propagation delay time, or a second loop circuit operating as a ring oscillator, the second loop circuit including said first delay means and said second delay means, the second loop circuit having a second propagation delay time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a plurality of timing signal supply paths for supplying a timing signal to display circuits, the skew adjustment apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of first delay means wherein a first delay means is provided on each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths; a plurality of propagation delay time adjustment means, wherein a propagation delay time adjustment means is provided on each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths for adjusting a propagation delay time for each corresponding timing signal supply path; a plurality of second delay means, wherein a second delay means is connected between each output terminal of a corresponding said propagation delay time adjustment means and an input terminal of a corresponding said first delay means; and a plurality of selection means, wherein a selection means is provided for each timing signal path for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said first and second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means or a second loop circuit including said first and second delay means. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal generation circuit for generating a timing signal generation circuit for generating a timing signal and a timing signal supply path for transferring the timing signal, comprising:
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propagation delay time adjustment means provided on said timing signal supply path for adjusting a propagation time of the timing signal supply path; first delay means provided on said timing signal supply path; a first return path connected to said timing signal supply path; second delay means provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to said first return path; third delay means, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation delay time of said second delay means, provided on said second return path; and selection means for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said first and second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means or a second loop circuit including said first, second, third delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal generation circuit for generating a timing signal and a plurality of timing signal supply paths for transferring the timing signal, comprising:
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a plurality of propagation delay time adjustment means, wherein a propagation delay time is provided on each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths; a plurality of first delay means, wherein a first delay means is provided on each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths; a plurality of first return path, wherein a first return path is connected to each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths; a plurality of second delay means, wherein a second delay means is provided on each of said first return path; a plurality of second return path, wherein a second return path is connected to each of said first return path; a plurality of third delay means, each having a propagation delay time equivalent to that of a corresponding said second delay means, wherein a third delay means is provided on each of said second return path; and a plurality of selection means provided for each timing signal supply paths, each selection means selectively forming a first loop circuit including corresponding ones of said first and second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means or a second loop circuit including corresponding ones of said first, second and third delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal supply path for supplying a timing signal to a digital circuit, comprising:
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a variable delay line provided on the timing signal supply path; a first input buffer circuit provided on the timing signal supply path; a first return path connected to the timing signal supply path; an output buffer circuit provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to the timing signal supply path; a second input buffer circuit, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation delay time of said first input buffer circuit, provided on said second return path; and a selector for selectively forming one of a first loop circuit including said first input buffer circuit, said variable delay line and said output buffer circuit, a second loop circuit including said first input buffer circuit and said output buffer circuit, and a third loop circuit including said first and second input buffer circuits and said output buffer circuit.
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14. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal generation circuit for generating a timing signal and a timing signal supply path for transferring said timing signal, comprising:
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a variable delay line provided on the timing signal supply path; an output buffer circuit provided on the timing signal supply path; a first return path connected to the timing signal supply path; a first input buffer circuit provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to said first return path; a second input buffer circuit, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation delay time of said first input buffer circuits provided on said second return path; and a selector for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said output buffer circuit, said first input buffer circuit and said variable delay line or a second loop circuit including said output buffer circuit, said first and second input buffer circuits and said delay line.
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15. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a plurality of timing signal supply paths for supplying a plurality of timing signals to digital circuits, comprising:
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a variable delay line provided for each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; a first input buffer circuit provided on each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; a first return path connected to each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; an output buffer circuit provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; a second input buffer circuit, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation delay time of said first input buffer circuit, provided on said second return path; and a selector for selectively forming one of a first loop circuit including said first input buffer circuit and said variable delay line and said output buffer circuit, a second loop circuit including said first input buffer circuit and said output buffer circuit, and a third loop circuit including said first and second input buffer circuits and said output buffer circuit.
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16. A skew adjustment apparatus for use in a digital system having a plurality timing signal supply path for supplying a timing signal to a plurality of digital circuit, comprising:
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a variable delay line provided for each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; an input buffer circuit provided for each of the plurality of timing signal supply paths; a first return path connected to said plurality of timing signal supply paths; an output buffer circuit provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to each of said plurality of timing signal supply paths; and a selector for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said input buffer circuit, said variable delay line and said an output buffer circuit or a second loop circuit including said output buffer circuit.
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17. A propagation delay time measurement apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal supply path for supplying a timing signal to a digital circuit comprising:
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first delay means provided on the timing signal supply path; propagation delay time adjustment means provided on the timing signal supply path; second delay means, connected between an output terminal of said propagation delay time adjustment means and an input terminal of said first delay means; and selection means for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said first and said second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means or a second loop circuit including said first and said second delay means, and wherein; a propagation delay time of a part of said timing signal supply path is detected by subtracting a propagation delay time of the second loop circuit from a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A propagation delay time measurement apparatus for use in a digital system having a timing signal generation circuit for generating a timing signal and a timing signal supply path for transferring said timing signal, comprising:
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propagation delay time adjustment means provided on the timing signal supply path; first delay means provided on the timing signal supply pat; second delay means provided on said first return path; a second return path connected to said first return path; third delay means, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation delay of said second delay means, provided on said second return path; and selection means for selectively forming a first loop circuit including said first and second delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means or a second loop circuit including said first, second, and third delay means and said propagation delay time adjustment means, and wherein; a propagation delay time of a part of said timing signal supply path is obtained, by subtracting a propagation delay time of said second delay means from a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit, through an operation using a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit and a propagation delay time of the second loop circuit. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A skew adjustment method for adjusting a signal delay time over a timing signal supply path which supplies a timing signal to a digital circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming a first loop circuit including a first delay circuit and a variable delay line on the timing signal supply path, and a second delay circuit not on the timing signal supply path; obtaining a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit by emitting a first pulse that said first loop circuit oscillates; forming a second loop circuit including the first and second delay circuits; obtaining a propagation delay time of the second loop circuit by emitting a second pulse that said second loop circuit oscillates; and adjusting a signal delay time over the timing signal supply path, by changing a propagation delay time of the variable delay line, based on the propagation delay time of the first loop circuit and the propagation delay time of the second loop circuit. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A skew adjustment method for adjusting a signal delay time over a timing signal supply path which supplies a timing signal to a digital circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming a first loop circuit including a first delay circuit, a variable delay line on the timing signal supply path and a second delay circuit not on said timing signal supply path; obtaining a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit by emitting a first pulse that the first loop circuit oscillates; forming a second loop circuit including the first and second delay circuits, the variable delay line and a third delay circuit, having a propagation delay time equivalent to a propagation time of the first delay circuit, not provided on the timing signal supply path; obtaining a propagation delay time of said second loop circuit by emitting a second pulse that the second loop circuit oscillates; and adjusting a signal delay time of the timing signal supply path by changing a propagation delay time of the variable delay line, based on the propagation delay time of the first loop circuit and the propagation delay time of the second loop circuit.
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24. A skew adjustment method for adjusting a signal delay time of a timing signal supply path which supplies a timing signal to a digital circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming a first loop circuit from the timing signal supply path and a return path; obtaining a propagation delay time of the first loop circuit by emitting a first pulse that the first loop circuit oscillates; forming a second loop circuit using the return path; obtaining a propagation delay time of the second loop circuit by emitting a second pulse that the second loop circuit oscillates; obtaining a signal delay time of the timing signal supply path using the propagation delay time of the first loop circuit and the propagation delay time of the second loop circuit; and adjusting the signal delay time of the timing signal supply path, based on the obtained signal delay time of the timing signal supply path. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification