Patent · US Active

High speed phase frequency detector

US7940088B1 · kind B1 · utility

39Cited by
15References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 2009
Grant dateMay 10, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 9, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03D13/004
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and methods detect missing clock edges. An improved phase frequency detector (PFD) can be used in, for example, a phase locked loop (PLL) or a delay locked loop (DLL). Conventional PFDs can miss clock edges. Disclosed is a missing clock edge detection circuit that reliably detects these missing clock edges to correctly activate switches of a charge pump of the PLL or DLL. Embodiments exhibit relatively little of the characteristic polarity reversal of conventional PLL or DLL circuits, which then enables embodiments to operate faster and acquire phase lock quicker than conventional circuits. Such techniques are useful in clock synthesis, clock recovery, and the like. The invention can further include an optional circuit that detects when the missing clock edge detection circuit may have inaccurately determined (false positive) that a clock edge had been missed, to override the corrective action by the missing clock edge detection circuit.

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