IP Library Granted Patent US 12,480,992
Granted Patent B2
US 12,480,992 · App. 17/485,117 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Techniques for identification and correction of clock duty-cycle

Inventors: John R. Cherukuri (Austin, TX); Roan M. Nicholson (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G01R31/31727G01R19/16576
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,480,992
App. No.
17/485,117
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to an apparatus comprising: a first circuit with a plurality of stages; and a second circuit communicatively coupled with the first circuit, wherein the second circuit includes: a plurality of tap lines, wherein respective tap lines of the plurality of tap lines are coupled between two stages of the plurality of stages; and the logic, wherein the logic is to identify, based on an average voltage measurement of at least one tap line, a status of a duty-cycle of a signal propagating through a stage of the first circuit. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims (28)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a first circuit that is a high-speed serial input/output (I/O) with a plurality of stages having a signal of greater than 8 GHz propagating through at least one of the plurality of stages; and

a second circuit communicatively coupled with the first circuit, wherein the second circuit includes:

a plurality of tap lines, wherein respective tap lines of the plurality of tap lines are coupled between two stages of the plurality of stages; and

logic, wherein the logic is to identify, based on an average voltage measurement of at least one tap line, a status of a duty-cycle of the signal propagating through the first circuit.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein respective ones of the plurality of tap lines includes a resistor.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is to identify the status of the duty-cycle based on a comparison of the average voltage measurement to a threshold value.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further to identify, based on an identification of which tap line of the plurality of tap lines provided a signal related to the voltage measurement, which stage of the plurality of stages the voltage measurement is related to.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further to alter, based on the status of the identified duty-cycle, a future iteration of the duty-cycle.

6 . A circuit comprising:

a plurality of tap lines, wherein respective tap lines of the plurality of tap lines are coupled between two stages of a plurality of stages of a first circuit that is a high-speed serial input/output (I/O) circuit with a plurality of stages having a signal of greater than 8 GHz propagating through at least one of the plurality of stages; and

logic, wherein the logic is to identify, based on an average voltage measurement of at least one tap line, a status of a duty-cycle of a signal propagating through a stage of the first circuit.

7 . The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the logic is to identify the status of the duty-cycle based on a comparison of the average voltage measurement to a threshold value.

8 . The circuit of claim 7 , wherein the threshold value is a value between signal-level and off-level of the first circuit.

9 . The circuit of claim 7 , wherein the logic is further to determine, based on an identification that a value of the average voltage measurement is above the threshold value, that the duty-cycle is biased toward signal-level.

10 . The circuit of claim 7 , wherein the logic is further to determine, based on an identification that a value of the average voltage measurement is below the threshold value, that the duty-cycle is biased toward off-level.

11 . The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the logic is further to identify, based on an identification of which tap line of the plurality of tap lines provided a signal related to the voltage measurement, which stage of the plurality of stages the voltage measurement is related to.

12 . The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the logic is further to alter, based on the status of the identified duty-cycle, a future iteration of the duty-cycle.

13 . The circuit of claim 12 , wherein the alteration is an alteration of at least one of voltage, current, or phase of a signal supplied to the first circuit.

14 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, upon execution of the instructions by a logic, are to cause the logic to:

identify, based on a signal received from at least one tap line of a plurality of tap lines that are respectively coupled between stages of a plurality of stages of a first circuit that is a high-speed serial input/output (I/O) circuit with a plurality of stages having a signal of greater than 8 GHz propagating through at least one of the plurality of stages, an average voltage measurement of the first circuit at a point at which the at least one tap line is coupled to the first circuit;

compare the average voltage measurement to a voltage threshold; and

identify, based on the comparison, a status of a duty-cycle of the first circuit.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein respective ones of the plurality of tap lines includes a resistor.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic to identify the status of the duty-cycle based on a comparison of the average voltage measurement to a threshold value.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the threshold value is a value between signal-level and off-level of the first circuit.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic to determine, based on an identification that a value of the average voltage measurement is above the threshold value, that the duty-cycle is biased toward signal-level.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic to determine, based on an identification that a value of the average voltage measurement is below the threshold value, that the duty-cycle is biased toward off-level.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2021
From: CHERUKURI, JOHN R.; NICHOLSON, ROAN M.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057964/0122 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230108736A1 · Apr 6, 2023
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