Patent · US Expired

Frequency synthesizer utilizing phase shifted control signals

US6317006A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
80References
41Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 21, 2000
Grant dateNov 13, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 21, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B1/30
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for synthesizing high-frequency signals, such as wireless communication signals, includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer with a variable capacitance voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that has a discretely variable capacitance in conjunction with a continuously variable capacitance. The discretely variable capacitance may provide coarse tuning adjustment of the variable capacitance to compensate for capacitor and inductor tolerances and to adjust the output frequency to be near the desired frequency output. The continuously variable capacitance may provide a fine tuning adjustment of the variable capacitance to focus the output frequency to match precisely the desired frequency output. During fine tuning adjustment, the PLL may be controlled by a plurality of analog control signals. The analog control signals may be derived by first generating a plurality of phase shifted signals from a divided version of the VCO output clock by using a shift register. The shift register may be clocked by another clock signal at a higher frequency than the divided version of the VCO output clock. The phase differences between the plurality of phase shifted s…

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