From Frequency to Time-Average-Frequency: A Paradigm Shift in the Design of Electronic Systems

This book addresses the importance of clock technology in the field of IC design and introduces a new perspective on the concept of clock frequency in an easy-to-understand fashion

From Frequency to Time-Average-Frequency: A Paradigm Shift in the Design of Electronic System introduces a paradigm shift into the field of microelectronic system design: from conventional Frequency to emerging Time-Average-Frequency (result: from the rigorous clock in the past to the flexible clock for the future). This book will demonstrate the approach of using a novel clock generator, Time-Average-Frequency based Direct Period Synthesis (TAF-DPS), as the enabler to create chip/system/architecture level innovations. The knowledge-and-skill gap between clock users and clock circuit designers is observed and addressed: it will help PLL designers expand their knowledge into various clock applications; design better clock circuit; and assist PLL users in understanding clock generator’s capability so that they can use it more efficiently in architecture level decision-making.

Key features of this book:

• Two long-lasting problems in the field of frequency synthesis are identified and addressed:  arbitrary frequency generation and fast frequency switching.
• Two key terms are defined: rigorous clock of frequency; flexible clock of Time-Average-Frequency
• The clock frequency concept is investigated from the application perspective: theoretically and fundamentally

Clock technology is one of the four fundamental technologies in the field of IC design. It is the timekeeper and the driver of everything inside a silicon chip.

Liming Xiu earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 1986 and 1988, respectively.  Mr. Xiu earned his second M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1995. Currently, he is involved in an IC design startup. He has 16 granted and 9 pending US patents and has published numerous IEEE journal papers and two books: VLSI Circuit Design Methodology Demystified (Wiley-IEEE Press) and Nanometer Frequency Synthesis beyond Phase-Locked Loop (Wiley-IEEE Press). He served as vice president of IEEE Circuit and Systems Society in years 2009-2010.