Patent · US Expired

Phase locked loop having direct digital synthesizer dividers and improved phase detector

US6198353A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
3References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1999
Grant dateMar 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03L7/1806
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A digital phase locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer having the conventional voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) divider in the feedback loop to the phase detector replaced with a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) divider. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the reference divider in the input path may also be replaced with a DDS divider. Moreover, a new architecture for the phase detector and current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) which operate on the instantaneous phase of each DDS is provided. Thus, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the update rate of the digital PLL frequency synthesizer is not based on the frequency signal output from the reference divider in the input path (as in conventional digital PLL frequency synthesizer architectures). Rather, the update rate is based on fixed clock signals output from the clock generator, which utilizes the master clock and the output frequency, in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The digital PLL frequency synthesizer is capable of a very high update rate, very fast settling time, and very fine frequency control.

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