Patent · US Expired

Fast start-up processor clock generation method and system

US5963068A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
4References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 28, 1997
Grant dateOct 5, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 28, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03L7/18
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A PLL based clock generation circuit that enables processor execution during phase locking is provided. A PLL (310) generates a PLL clock output to a divider (330), which divides the PLL clock at a system clock output. PLL (310) outputs a frequency lock signal upon acquiring a desired output frequency that initiates a counter (320) and enables execution in a CPU (350) being clocked by the system clock. CPU (350) is thereby enabled to execute during phase locking at a divided frequency without risk of frequency overshoot induced failures. A phase lock signal, indicating PLL (310) has achieved phase lock, output by counter (320) is logically combined (340) with a signal output from CPU (350) requesting maximum frequency operation. The combined signal selects divider (330) to enable a maximum frequency system clock, thereby enabling CPU (350) to execute at maximum frequency when the PLL (310) is safely phase locked.

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