Granted Patent B2

US 7,514,844 · App. 11/338,032 · Granted Apr 7, 2009

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A data coupler, comprising:

an acoustic isolation transformer operable to develop an isolated output signal in response to an input signal;

a transmitter adapted to receive a data input signal and coupled to the acoustic isolation transformer, the transmitter operable to generate a continuous periodic input signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal, wherein the transmitter utilizes one of On/Off Keying, frequency modulation, Frequency Shift Keying, amplitude modulation, and Amplitude Shift Keying to generate the periodic input signal, the transmitter being operable to start generating the periodic input signal responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state and to terminate generating the periodic input signal responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state; and

a receiver coupled to the acoustic isolation transformer to receive the isolated output signal and operable to generate a data output signal responsive to the isolated output signal.

2. The data coupler of claim 1 the periodic input signal having a first frequency responsive to the first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state and having a second frequency responsive to the second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

3. The data coupler of claim 1 the periodic input signal having a first amplitude responsive to the first transition of the data input signal from the first logic state to the second logic state and having a second amplitude responsive to the second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

4. The data coupler of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is operable to generate a burst periodic input signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal.

5. The data coupler of claim 4 wherein the transmitter generates for the burst periodic input signal:

a first burst periodic signal having a first frequency responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state; and

a second burst periodic signal having a second frequency responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

6. The data coupler of claim 5 wherein the transmitter is further operable to periodically generate a refresh pulse for the input signal.

7. The data coupler of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is operable to generate a nonperiodic burst signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal.

8. The data coupler of claim 1 wherein the acoustic isolation transformer includes components formed to operate in one of a thickness expansion, flexural, length, area expansion, thickness shear, surface acoustic wave, and contour-expansion vibration modes of operation.

9. The data coupler of claim 1 wherein the acoustic isolation transformer comprises a differential acoustic isolation transformer.

10. The data coupler of claim 9 wherein the differential acoustic isolation transformer comprises a first and a second input transducer and a first and a second output transducer, the first input and output transducers forming a first acoustic transformer and the second input and output transducers forming a second acoustic transformer.

11. The data coupler of claim 10 wherein each of the first and second acoustic transformers comprises input and output transducers formed on a common piezoelectric layer that functions as an acoustic coupling layer.

12. The data coupler of claim 9 wherein the differential acoustic isolation transformer comprises two stacked film bulk acoustic resonators operable in the thickness expansion mode of operation.

13. The data coupler of claim 11 wherein each stacked film bulk acoustic resonators comprises a stacked pair of film bulk acoustic resonators having an acoustic coupling layer positioned between them.

14. The data coupler of claim 12 wherein a first one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in a first one of the pair is coupled in antiparallel with a first one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in a second one of the pair, and wherein a second one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in the first one of the pair is coupled in series with a second one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in the second one of the pair.

15. The data coupler of claim 1 wherein the data input signal comprises a digital signal.

16. A data coupler, comprising:

a substrate on which an acoustic isolation transformer, transmitter circuit, and receiver circuit are formed;

the acoustic isolation transformer being operable to develop an isolated output signal in response to an input signal;

the transmitter being adapted to receive a data input signal and being coupled to the acoustic isolation transformer, the transmitter being operable to apply the input signal to the acoustic isolation transformer responsive to the data input signal, wherein the transmitter is operable to generate a continuous periodic input signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal, the transmitter utilizing one of On/Off Keying, frequency modulation, Frequency Shift Keying, amplitude modulation, and Amplitude Shift Keying to generate the periodic input signal, the transmitter being operable to start generating the periodic input signal responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state and to terminate generating the periodic input signal responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state; and

the receiver being coupled to the acoustic isolation transformer to receive the isolated output signal and being operable to generate a data output signal responsive to the isolated output signal.

17. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor substrate.

18. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the substrate includes a printed circuit board.

19. The data coupler of claim 16 the periodic input signal having a first frequency responsive to the first transition of the data input signal from the first logic state to the second logic state the periodic input signal having a second frequency responsive to the second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

20. The data coupler of claim 16 the periodic input signal having a first amplitude responsive to the first transition of the data input signal from the first logic state to the second logic state the periodic input signal having a second amplitude responsive to the second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

21. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is operable to generate a burst periodic input signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal.

22. The data coupler of claim 21 wherein the transmitter generates for the burst periodic input signal:

a first burst periodic signal having a first frequency responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state; and

a second burst periodic signal having a second frequency responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

23. The data coupler of claim 22 wherein the transmitter is further operable to periodically generate a refresh pulse for the input signal.

24. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is operable to generate a nonperiodic burst signal for the input signal responsive to the data input signal.

25. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the acoustic isolation transformer includes components formed to operate in one of a thickness expansion, flexural, length, area expansion, thickness shear, surface acoustic wave, and contour-expansion vibration modes of operation.

26. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the acoustic isolation transformer comprises a differential acoustic isolation transformer.

27. The data coupler of claim 26 wherein the differential acoustic isolation transformer comprises a first and a second input transducer and a first and a second output transducer, the first input and output transducers forming a first acoustic transformer and the second input and output transducers forming a second acoustic transformer.

28. The data coupler of claim 27 wherein each of the first and second acoustic transformers comprises input and output transducers formed on a common piezoelectric layer that functions as an acoustic coupling layer.

29. The data coupler of claim 26 wherein the differential acoustic isolation transformer comprises two stacked film bulk acoustic resonators operable in the thickness expansion mode of operation.

30. The data coupler of claim 29 wherein each stacked film bulk acoustic resonators comprises a stacked pair of film bulk acoustic resonators having an acoustic coupling layer positioned between them.

31. The data coupler of claim 30 wherein a first one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in a first one of the pair is coupled in antiparallel with a first one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in a second one of the pair, and wherein a second one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in the first one of the pair is coupled in series with a second one of the film bulk acoustic resonators in the second one of the pair.

32. The data coupler of claim 16 wherein the data input signal comprises a digital signal.

33. An electronic system, comprising:

a first electronic subsystem;

a second electronic subsystem;

a substrate containing at least one data coupling device, each data coupling device being coupled to the first and second electronic subsystems and each data coupling device including, an acoustic isolation transformer having an input and an output, the isolation transformer operable to develop an isolated output signal on the output in response to an input signal on the input;

a transmitter coupled to the input of the isolation transformer and adapted to receive a data input signal, the transmitter operable to generate one of a nonperiodic modulated signal and a periodic modulated signal in response to the data input signal and to apply the modulated signal to the input of the isolation transformer; and

a receiver coupled to the output of the isolation transformer to receive the isolated output signal and operable to generate a data output signal responsive to the isolated output signal.

34. The electronic system of claim 33 wherein the first and second 2 electronic subsystems comprise computer subsystems.

35. The electronic system of claim 33 wherein the periodic signal comprises a burst periodic signal.

36. The electronic system of claim 33 wherein the nonperiodic signal comprises one of a Burst Nonperiodic Frequency Envelope On/Off Keying (BNPFE-OOK), Burst Nonperiodic Amplitude Envelope On/Off Keying (BNPAE-OOK), and Burst Nonperiodic Bit Sequence On/Off Keying (BNPBS-OOK) signal.

37. The electronic system of claim 33 wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

38. A method of generating a data output signal in response to a data input signal, the data output signal being electrically isolated from the data input signal, the method comprising:

applying the data input signal to an acoustic data coupler;

generating in the acoustic data coupler an acoustic wave in response to the applied data input signal by generating a continuous periodic input signal responsive to the data input signal by applying one of On/Off Keying, frequency modulating a carrier signal responsive to the periodic input signal, and amplitude modulating the data input signal to generate the continuous periodic signal responsive to the data input signal, the On/Off Keying including, starting generation of the periodic input signal responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state and terminating generation of the periodic input signal responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state;

generating the acoustic wave responsive to the continuous periodic signal; and

providing the data output signal from the acoustic isolation device responsive to the acoustic wave.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein frequency modulating a cater signal responsive to the periodic input signal comprises:

applying Frequency Shift Keying to generate the periodic input signal responsive to the data input signal, the Frequency Shift Keying including, starting generation of the periodic input signal having a first frequency responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state; and

starting generation of the periodic input signal having a second frequency responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein amplitude modulating the data input signal to generate the periodic input signal comprises:

applying Amplitude Shift Keying to generate the periodic input signal, the Amplitude Shift Keying including, starting generation of the periodic input signal having a first amplitude responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state; and

starting generation of the periodic input signal having a second amplitude responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein generating an acoustic wave in response to the applied data input signal comprises:

generating a burst periodic input signal responsive to the data input signal; and

generating the acoustic wave responsive to the burst periodic input signal.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein generating the burst periodic input signal comprises:

generating a first burst periodic signal having a first frequency responsive to a first transition of the data input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state; and

generating a second burst periodic signal having a second frequency responsive to a second transition of the data input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising periodically generating a refresh pulse for the input signal.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein generating the acoustic wave in response to the applied data input signal comprises:

generating a nonperiodic burst signal responsive to the data input signal; and

generating the acoustic wave responsive to the nonperiodic burst signal.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein the data input signal comprises a digital signal.

Assignments (14)