Method and apparatus for driving a direct current or voltage controlled oscillator with modulation slope feedback

US7129788B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ATMEL Germany GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Juergen Eckert · Neckarsulm, DE
• Thorsten Fahlbusch · Frankfurt am Main, DE
• Burkhard Gehring · Heilbronn, DE
• Hans-Werner Groh · Ensdorf, DE
• Horst Haefner · Heilbronn, DE
• Hermann Hammel · Rot am See, DE
• Michael Hecker · Eppingen, DE
• Gerald Krimmer · Heilbronn, DE
• Reinhard Reimann · Heilbronn, DE
• Wolfgang Roeper · Neuenstein, DE
• Friedemann Schmidt · Stuttgart, DE
• Juergen Schnabel · Leingarten, DE
• Wolfgang Schneider · Leipzig, DE
• Michael Vogt · Bochum, DE
• Hans-Peter Waible · Flein, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 27, 2004
• Grant date: Oct 31, 2006
• Expiry date: May 26, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03C3/095
• WIPO field: Basic communication processes
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A d.c. signal controlled oscillator includes a frequency-determining network having a control input and a modulation input. A phase regulating loop includes the oscillator and components that provide a control signal to the control input. A circuit apparatus for driving the oscillator includes a modulation generator that provides a modulation signal to the modulation input, and a circuit arrangement that autonomously generates a signal depending on and representing a slope of the modulation and provides this slope signal to the modulation generator, which generates the modulation signal dependent on the slope signal. A method of operating the oscillator involves switching a frequency divider successively to two different frequencies, respectively sampling and holding the two different arising control voltages, forming a difference between the two control voltages, and activating the modulation generator so that a modulation swing of the modulation signal is determined by this difference between the control voltages.