Patent · US Expired

Phase locked loop using a counter and a microcontroller to produce VCXO control signals

US5726607A · kind A · utility

83Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 4, 1994
Grant dateMar 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04J3/0688
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A digitally controlled phase locked loop generates a derived clock signal that is frequency locked to a reference clock signal. The apparatus is comprised of a microcontroller, counter, digital to analog converter (DAC) and a voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO) connected in a feedback loop arrangement. A frequency output derived from the VCXO periodically samples an incoming reference signal. The sampled count value is compared to an ideal count value associated with the same sampling time period. A microcontroller and software-based algorithm perform the phase comparison and loop filter operations of the phase locked loop (PLL).

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