AN1504/D
http://onsemi.com
3
Figure 4. Metastable Flip
Flop Output Response
28.6300 NS
31.1300 NS
33.6300 NS
CH. 3 = 150.0 mV/DIV
START = 30.8500 NS
TIMEBASE = 500 PS/DIV
DELTA T = 710.0 PS
STOP = 31.5600 NS
The flip
flop shown in Figure 5 can be divided into two
functional blocks: Master latch and Slave latch. Under
optimal operating conditions the clock is low when data
arrives at the input to the master latch; after the specified
set
up time the clock input is raised to a high level, and the
data is latched. When the clock signal goes to the low state,
the slave portion of the circuit becomes transparent and
transfers the latched data to the output. Changes at the input
will have no affect on the output when the “slave latch” is
transparent.
The master and slave latches each consist of two
subsections: Data and Regenerative (Figure 5). Since the
master latch accepts signals from external sources it is the
section most susceptible to metastability problems. When
the clock signal goes to a high state the current in the master
latch clock differential pair switches from the regenerative
to the data side. If the set
up and hold times are observed the
circuit will function properly. However, if the data and clock
signals change such that the set
up and hold times are
violated, the data differential pair, the regenerative
differential pair and the clock differential pair for the master
will share the same switch current. In addition there will not
be enough current to charge and discharge the transistor
parasitic capacitances, creating an RC feedback loop via the
collector nodes of the data and regenerative differential
pairs. Thus the master latch enters a metastable state which
appears at the output since the slave latch is transparent
under these conditions. Theoretically, there is no upper
bound on the length of time this metastable state can last,
although in practice circuits eventually do leave the
metastable region.
V
CS
V
EE
V
CC
RESET
DATA
SET
SLAVE
LATCH
MASTER LATCH
REGENERATIVE
DATA
REGENERATIVE
DATA
CLOCK
DATA
CLOCK
Figure 5. ECLinPS D Flip
Flop