Circuit device having two communication interfaces for faster and slower transmission speeds, and transmission module, electronic apparatus, and moving object that have the circuit device

• US 9,537,693 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shiozaki, Nobutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Fotakis, Aristocratis
• Application Number:
  US14/801,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/028 Arrangements specific to the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/127 using a controlled oscillator in a feedback loop

Abstract

To provide different paths for communication of a serial signal required for high-speed communication and communication of transmission data that may be handled in low-speed communication, a circuit device includes a serial interface that receives a serial signal transmitted from a controller at a first communication speed, a transmission data input terminal that receives transmission data transmitted from the controller at a second communication speed slower than the first communication speed, and a transmission circuit that outputs a transmission signal corresponding to the transmission data based on the serial signal and the transmission data.

Claims

1. A circuit device comprising:

a first serial interface that receives a serial signal transmitted from a controller at a first communication speed;

a transmission data input terminal that receives transmission data transmitted from the controller at a second communication speed slower than the first communication speed;

a second serial interface that receives the transmission data via the transmission data input terminal;

a selector that receives the serial signal from the first serial interface and the transmission data from the transmission data input terminal so as to select one of the serial signal and transmission data and output an selected signal;

a latch circuit that receives the selected signal from the selector and outputs a latched signal; and

a transmission circuit that outputs a transmission signal based on the latched signal,

wherein the second serial interface has the selector and the latch circuit.

2. The circuit device according to claim 1, further comprising an oscillation circuit that generates an oscillation clock signal for generating a transmission clock signal for the transmission signal,

wherein the first serial interface receives the serial signal in an oscillation activation period of the oscillation circuit.

3. The circuit device according to claim 2,

wherein the oscillation circuit includes a capacitance circuit for oscillation, and

the capacitance circuit for oscillation has capacitance smaller than capacitance in normal operation in the oscillation activation period.

4. The circuit device according to claim 2,

wherein the oscillation circuit includes a buffer, and

the buffer has current supply performance greater than current supply performance in normal operation in the oscillation activation period.

5. The circuit device according to claim 3,

wherein the oscillation circuit includes a buffer, and

the buffer has current supply performance greater than current supply performance in normal operation in the oscillation activation period.

6. The circuit device according to claim 2,

wherein the oscillation circuit includes an oscillation piece and causes the oscillation piece to oscillate.

7. The circuit device according to claim 6,

wherein the oscillation piece and the oscillation circuit are accommodated in a single package.

8. The circuit device according to claim 1,

wherein when the first serial interface receives from the controller a transmission start instruction to start transmitting the transmission data,

the second serial interface receives the transmission data.

9. The circuit device according to claim 8,

wherein the first serial interface receives a transmission command from the controller to detect the transmission start instruction.

10. The circuit device according to claim 1,

wherein the second serial interface receives the transmission data in a synchronous mode or an asynchronous mode.

11. The circuit device according to claim 1,

wherein the transmission circuit receives transmission action setting information for generating the transmission signal in the form of the serial signal and includes

a transmission waveform generator that generates a transmission waveform based on the transmission action setting information and the transmission data, and

a power amplifier that outputs the generated transmission waveform in the form of the transmission signal.

12. The circuit device according to claim 1,

wherein the circuit device receives transmission action setting information for generating the transmission signal in the form of the serial signal and further comprises a setting register to which the transmission action setting information is written.

13. The circuit device according to claim 1,

wherein the circuit device receives transmission action setting information for generating the transmission signal in the form of the serial signal, and

at least one of the frequency of a transmission clock signal for the transmission signal and a modulation method used to generate the transmission signal is set based on the transmission action setting information.

14. A transmission module comprising:

the circuit device according to claim 1; and

the controller,

wherein the controller has an output terminal connected to the transmission data input terminal.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising the circuit device according to claim 1.

16. A moving object comprising the circuit device according to claim 1.