Patent · US Expired

Multi-phase clock generator and multiplier

US5436939A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
6References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1994
Grant dateJul 25, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K3/0315
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multiphase clock generator which exhibits frequency stability in the presence of power supply noise. The clock generator of the present invention includes a phase detector for generating a phase error signal in response to the phase difference between an input signal and a recovered clock signal. A phase-locked feedback loop is operative to synthesize a recovered clock signal in response to the phase error signal. Included within the feedback loop is a differential ring oscillator disposed to provide first and second phase-shifted output signals at first and second output ports. The addition of a combination network to the multiphase clock generator of the present invention allows a multiplied clock signal to be derived from an input signal. Specifically, the phase-locked feedback loop 18 included within the clock multiplier of the present invention provides a plurality of sequentially phase-shifted waveforms at a first multiple of the frequency of the input signal. The phase-shifted waveforms are then combined into the output clock signal at a second multiple of the frequency of the input clock signal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.