Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for operating a PLL with a phase detector/sample hold circuit for synthesizing high-frequency signals for wireless communications

US6993307B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
86References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 8, 2003
Grant dateJan 31, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03L7/091
  • 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 include an analog control loop in which a phase detector circuit and sample and hold circuit are utilized. The output of the sample and hold circuit may be provided to the PLL VCO as VCO input control signals.

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