Patent Description:
In some situations it is desirable to electrically isolate two circuits from each other while enabling the circuits to communicate. This may be done for isolating the circuits' grounds from each other, or for reducing the coupling of noise from one circuit to the other, or for any other purpose. Common techniques used for such "galvanic isolation" include using transformers or optical links.

Transformers tend to be relatively large and expensive. Optical links require an LED and a photodetector, which add significant size and cost to the circuits. Optical links are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI), but the electronics in the photodiode detector circuit are susceptible to EMI. Shielding of connectors may be used to mitigate the effects of ambient EMI, and internal EMI shielding may be added to the package, but such shielding adds cost. Filters to filter out the EMI may be added to the receiver but add signal delay.

What is needed is a more compact and inexpensive technique to galvanically isolate two or more circuits, such as separate dies within an integrated circuit (IC) package, or separate circuits on a printed circuit board (PCB), that communicate with each other, where the communications link is robust in the presence of EMI.

<CIT> discloses a reception circuit that operates based on a first power supply GND1 belonging to a first power supply system and receives, through an AC coupling element, a transmission signal V1 output by a transmission circuit that operates based on a second power supply GND2 belonging to a second power supply system, the reception circuit including: a noise rejection unit that generates a transmission-use signal V2a by reducing a signal level of noise between the power supplies generated in the AC coupling element due to a potential difference between the first power supply GND1 and the second power supply GND2; and a reception buffer that reproduces a data signal based on the transmission-use signal. This prevents a malfunction from occurring due to noise between the power supplies caused by a relative potential variation between the power supply of the transmission circuit and the power supply of the reception circuit.

<CIT> discloses an integrated circuit package includes a portion of a lead frame disposed within an encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor including a first conductive loop and a third conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. A second conductor formed in the lead frame is galvanically isolated from the first conductor and includes a second conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation proximate to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductors. The third conductive loop is wound in an opposite direction relative to the first conductive loop. A transmit circuit is disposed within the encapsulation and is coupled to the second conductor to provide a transmitter current. A receive circuit is disposed within the encapsulation and is coupled to the first conductor to receive a transmitter induced signal in response to the transmitter current.

<CIT> discloses coil structures and isolators using them. A coil(s) is (are) used as a magnetic field-generating element(s) paired with another coil(s) or other magnetic field-receiving element(s). The coil(s) is(are) formed in or on a substrate which does not include some or all of the driver (i.e., input) or receiver (i.e., output) circuits. The coil(s) and magnetic field-receiving element(s) thus can be manufactured separately from the driver and/or receiver circuitry, using different processes, instead of subjecting the chip areas containing both input and output circuits to post processing to form the coil(s). Isolators can be assembled using such coils with a resultant lower cost. Isolators also can be assembled using transformers made from such coils wherein the transformers can be driven on either of their windings in order to provide bi-directional isolation with a single transformer.

The present invention involves improvements in near field RF communication techniques between circuits mounted on the same PCB. Aspects of the claimed invention are provided according to independent claims <NUM> and <NUM>.

For near field communications, inductive coils coupled to each circuit are brought close together so that there is inductive coupling between the two coils. Data signals can then be relayed between the two circuits without any direct connection between them. However, due to the nature of the inductive coupling, the system is susceptible to common mode noise. Such noise may be generated by high frequency switching circuits or by any other source of noise, causing EMI. Such noise, if strong enough, could result in signal corruption and/or data errors.

Techniques are described herein to reduce the susceptibility of the data to errors caused by EMI when using near field communications between circuits.

One technique is to provide the inductive coils very close to one another to improve the magnetic coupling. The induced voltage is proportional to the inverse cube of the transmission distance. This is done by patterning flat spiral coils of a conductive material (e.g., a metal) to form overlapping inductive antennas that are separated by a thin dielectric, such as polyimide. Therefore, there is very good magnetic coupling and good signal-to-noise ratio. The overlapping arrangement of the flat coils results in a small size.

A second technique is to provide an additional near field antenna, identical to the antennas used for the communicating circuits, that is only used to detect the level of EMI. This added "passive" EMI detection circuit is proximate to the "active" circuits that are communicating with each other on the same PCB so that the detected EMI would be the same as that experienced by all the communicating circuits. Once the level of EMI is detected by the EMI detection circuit, the EMI detection circuit may control the receivers of the communicating circuits to set an optimal threshold for determining whether a transmitted digital signal is a one or a zero.

The EMI detection circuit may also control the output power of the transmitters to increase in the presence of a relatively high EMI signal.

The detected EMI signal waveform may also be subtracted from the received data signal waveform to offset any EMI signal in the data path. Similarly, there may be pre-emphasis by subtracting the detected EMI signal from the transmitted data signal.

Accordingly, inexpensive and compact near field RF isolation may be used to isolate communicating circuits with very good noise rejection by using any combination of the above-described techniques. The techniques are applicable to circuits that use differential signals as well as single ended signals.

Elements labeled with the same numeral in the various embodiments may be the same or equivalent.

<FIG> illustrates an IC package <NUM> containing two dies <NUM> and <NUM>. The package <NUM> has terminals for connection to a printed circuit board. The two dies <NUM> and <NUM> include any circuitry that needs to communicate between the dies <NUM> and <NUM>. Digital data is presumed in the embodiments, although analog information may also be communicated.

Only the transmitters and receivers are shown in the dies <NUM> and <NUM>, for four communication channels, since the other circuitry in the dies that generate the baseband data may be any conventional circuitry for any application. Active transmitters <NUM> and 16A and active receivers <NUM> and 18A are in the die <NUM>, and active transmitters <NUM> and 20A and active receivers <NUM> and 22A are in the die <NUM>. There may be more or less communication channels. The transmitters and receivers may also be transceivers where the transmit and receive functions use the same antenna. The transmitters may receive baseband data and modulate an RF carrier, such as at about <NUM>. The modulated signal may be amplified.

Although <FIG> shows the dies <NUM> and <NUM> within a single package, in a comparable example to the present disclosure, the dies <NUM> and <NUM> may be in separate packages mounted on a printed circuit board.

Also shown is a passive circuit that just receives EMI signals, comprising receivers <NUM> and 24A.

The four channels communicate by near field RF communications, allowing there to be no direct electronic connection between the two paddles (flat area of the metal lead frame where the die is attached) in the package <NUM>. This enables the grounds associated with the paddles of the dies <NUM> and <NUM> to be independent and helps prevent noise generated in one side of a package (such as switching noise) from being coupled to a circuit in the other side of the package. There may be additional ICs in the package <NUM> that communicate with each other. Other reasons for galvanically isolating circuits exist.

Each transmitter is connected to a substantially identical inductive coil <NUM>, 26A, 28B, and 28C, and each receiver is connected to a substantially identical inductive coil <NUM>, 28A, 26B, and 26C. The receive and transmit coil pairs are very close to one another and are fabricated on the same substrate for good magnetic coupling. Such coils are described in detail later with respect to <FIG>. In one embodiment, the two coils in a coil pair are flat metal spirals that overlap and are separated by a thin dielectric.

All the coils are within the package <NUM> and are connected to the dies <NUM> and <NUM> by bond wires or metal traces. If, in a comparable example of the present disclosure, the dies <NUM> and <NUM> are in separate packages, the coils may be external modules mounted on a printed circuit board.

Each die <NUM> and <NUM> has output pads coupled to the ends of the respective coils for either providing a current through a coil for transmitting a modulated data signal, or for receiving a voltage induced in the associated coil in the pair for receiving the modulated data signal. In one embodiment, the carrier is at <NUM>. The carrier frequency may be much higher, and any type of modulation may be used (e.g., AM, FM, etc.).

One problem with near field communications is that it is sensitive to EMI. Ambient EMI may be received by any of the coils, and the EMI waveform combines with the data waveforms. If the EMI is strong enough, the data signals will be corrupted, producing errors. Although shielding the packages and coils may reduce the EMI received by the coils, such shielding is expensive and adds bulk.

The system of <FIG> includes a passive circuit that only receives EMI signals using coils <NUM> and <NUM> that are substantially identical to the transmit and receive coils of the active circuits, such as the coils <NUM> and <NUM>. Therefore, since the passive coils <NUM> and <NUM> are proximate to all the other circuitry in the same package and are the same design, the EMI signals received by the passive coils <NUM> and <NUM> should be about the same as the EMI signals received by all the active coils.

All coils should be terminated in the same way for matching impedances for maximizing efficiency, such as by a conventional capacitor/resistor network connected to the package's ground.

As the system is operating to generate and communicate modulated data between the dies <NUM> and <NUM>, the passive EMI detection circuit, comprising the passive coils <NUM> and <NUM> and the receivers <NUM> and 24A, receives the same EMI signals received by all the other coils. The received EMI signals are processed by an associated common mode (CM) noise detector/processor <NUM> and 34A. The detector/processor <NUM> and 34A may determine the RMS power of the EMI signals, or measure the peak amplitude of the EMI signals, or determine other characteristics of the received EMI signals. The particular detection and processing of EMI signals depend on how the designer wants to compensate the receivers and/or transmitters for the detected EMI. Such a circuit design is well within the skills of one skilled in the art. The detector/processor <NUM> and 34A then applies the EMI waveform and/or the detected EMI characteristics to the various active transmitters and active receivers to mitigate the effects of the EMI signal on the data communications.

In one example shown in <FIG>, the detector/processor <NUM> and 34A generates an output power control signal on lines <NUM> and 38A to optimally control the output power of the active transmitters <NUM>, 16A, <NUM>, and 20A. This may just control the power amplifier that outputs the modulated data signals. The magnitude of the input signal into the power amplifier may also be controlled. When the detected EMI signal is relatively high, the power control signal increases the output power of the transmitters to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

An additional technique is to raise or lower the thresholds of the active receivers, where the threshold determines whether a received demodulated signal is a logical one or a zero. In the presence of strong common mode noise, the thresholds would be raised to prevent the receiver from indicating that a noise spike is data. This control of the threshold is shown by the detector/processor <NUM> and 34A outputting a threshold control signal on the lines <NUM> and 40A.

<FIG> illustrates another technique where the detected EMI waveform on the coil <NUM> or <NUM> is used to offset the EMI component of a received signal on one of the active receiver coils 26B, 26C, <NUM>, and 28A. This maintains phase coherency between the EMI waveform and the data signals. <FIG> illustrates a portion of any of the active receivers. The EMI signal across the EMI sense coil <NUM> or <NUM> is applied to an amplifier or buffer <NUM>, and the combined data and EMI signal from the active receiver coil (e.g., coil <NUM>) is applied to an identical amplifier or buffer <NUM>. The amplified signals are applied to inputs of a summer <NUM> for subtracting the EMI waveform from the combined data/EMI waveform to cancel out the EMI component of the data/EMI waveform. The output of the summer <NUM> then is approximately only the data signal without noise. To reduce the effects of EMI even further, the CM noise detector/processor <NUM> or 34A can adjust the voltage threshold <NUM> of the receiver. The adjusted threshold is applied to one input of a comparator <NUM> for comparison to the data signal (assuming amplitude modulation is used) to determine whether the signal is a logical one or zero. A higher strength EMI signal would cause the threshold to be raised to avoid false triggering of the comparator <NUM>. The digital output of the comparator <NUM> is thus compensated for the common mode EMI.

Although the circuit of <FIG> is for single-ended data, the circuit can be easily modified for differential data by applying the compensation to the positive and negative data channels.

<FIG> illustrates a receiver portion similar to <FIG> but the signals at both ends of the EMI sense coil and the active receiver coil are subtracted to maintain phase coherence. The four input signals into the summer <NUM> may be amplified or buffered as needed. Buffering may be used to reduce loading on the coils. The output of the summer <NUM> is differential and applied to an amplifier <NUM>. The output of the amplifier <NUM> is applied to the input of the comparator <NUM>, as discussed with respect to <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a portion of each transmitter <NUM>, 16A, <NUM>, and 20A, where the sensed EMI signal is applied to the input of an amplifier or buffer <NUM>. The output of the amplifier or buffer <NUM> is applied to one input of a summer <NUM>. A signal proportional to the modulated transmit signal applied to the transmit coil (e.g., coil <NUM> in <FIG>) is generated by an amplitude detector <NUM> and applied to the other input of the summer <NUM>. Amplitude detector <NUM> and amplifier or buffer <NUM> apply signals to the summer <NUM> that are proportional to the respective powers of the two signals. The magnitude of the output of the summer <NUM> therefore reflects the relative power levels of the EMI signal and transmitter output signal. If the EMI signal is relatively high, the output of the summer <NUM> controls the modulator or power amplifier <NUM> to increase the output power of the transmitter to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the transmitted signal.

In another embodiment, the detected EMI waveform may be subtracted from the baseband data signal for pre-emphasis of the transmitted signal to offset the EMI component coupled to the transmit coil <NUM>.

Improvements of <NUM>-20dB in signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved using the techniques described herein. The performance improvement somewhat depends on the wavelengths of the EMI signal, where shorter wavelengths may affect the receivers and transmitters in differing amounts if the distance from the signal coil (e.g., coil <NUM> in <FIG>) that is furthest from the EMI detection coil <NUM>/<NUM> is greater than about lambda/<NUM> from the EMI detection coil <NUM>/<NUM>, where lambda is the wavelength of the shortest significant component of EMI signal in the environment of the system.

<FIG> illustrates a differential transmitter <NUM> and receiver <NUM> using two pairs of coils <NUM> and <NUM> for near field communication of the differential data signals. The same EMI compensation techniques discussed above may be applied to the differential system.

<FIG> is a top down view of one of the coils <NUM> (e.g., a transmitter coil). All coils should be substantially identical to the EMI detection coils <NUM>/<NUM>. In one embodiment, a thin layer of copper is laminated on a thin (e.g., <NUM> micron) polyimide sheet <NUM> (<FIG>) and etched to form a flat spiral coil with the appropriate number of turns.

As shown in <FIG>, a substantially identical coil <NUM> (a receiver coil) is laminated to the transmitter coil <NUM> or simply formed on the opposite side of the polyimide sheet. The width of the coils may be less than one millimeter. As such, the two coils are very close together for excellent magnetic coupling for high signal-to-noise ratio, and the structure is very flat, reproducible, and inexpensive. The coil pair of <FIG> may be a separate die with leads for connection to the dies <NUM> and <NUM> within the package <NUM>, or the coil pair of <FIG> may be formed directly on one or both of the dies <NUM> and <NUM>.

The transmit and receive coils may have different "turns". The EMI detection coils <NUM>/<NUM> should have the same top and bottom coils as the transmit and receive coils to detect the same EMI as the transmit and receive coils.

Various other circuit designs may be used to implement the invention.

<FIG> is a flowchart summarizing the descriptions above. In step <NUM>, the active circuits are provided in one or more IC packages and communicate with each other using near field RF.

In step <NUM>, the active coils are provided that overlap for good magnetic coupling and good signal-to-noise ratio,.

In step <NUM>, passive coils (preferably substantially identical to the active coils) are provided that receive the same EMI signals received by the active coils.

In step <NUM>, the EMI signals detected by the passive coils are processed to determine the strength of the EMI signals.

Claim 1:
A system comprising circuits mounted on a printed circuit board, PCB, the system comprising:
a first circuit (<NUM>) on a first die (<NUM>), for transmitting data;
a second circuit (<NUM>) on a second die (<NUM>), for receiving the transmitted data;
a first electromagnetic interference, EMI, detection circuit (<NUM>) on the first die:
a first inductive coil (<NUM>) coupled to the first circuit for transmitting the data using near field communications;
a second inductive coil (<NUM>) coupled to the second circuit for receiving the data using near field communications, the second inductive coil being proximate to the first inductive coil for magnetic coupling between the second inductive coil and the first inductive coil;
a third inductive coil (<NUM>) coupled to the first EMI detection circuit for detecting EMI signals that are also substantially received by the first inductive coil or the second inductive coil; and
a fourth inductive coil (<NUM>), the third inductive coil being proximate to the fourth inductive coil for magnetic coupling between the third inductive coil and the fourth inductive coil,
wherein the first EMI detection circuit is configured to control the first circuit to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of a data signal based on the EMI signals detected by the third inductive coil,
wherein the system further comprises a second EMI detection circuit (34A) on the second die and coupled to the fourth inductive coil, wherein the second EMI detection circuit is configured to control the second circuit to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the data signal based on EMI signals detected by the fourth inductive coil.