Patent · US Active

System and method of calibrating power-on gating window for a time-to-digital converter (TDC) of a digital phase locked loop (DPLL)

US8090068B2 · kind B2 · utility

17Cited by
4References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 22, 2008
Grant dateJan 3, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 3, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03L2207/50
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed related to calibrating a power-on gating window for a time-to-digital converter (TDC) of a digital phase locked loop (DPLL). The gating window is calibrated to ensure proper operation of the DPLL, while at the same time operating the TDC in a power efficient manner. In particular, the technique entails setting the width of the TDC gating window to a default value; operating the DPLL until the control loop is substantially locked; decreasing the width of the TDC gating window by a predetermined amount, while monitoring the phase error signal generated by the phase error device of the DPLL; determining the current width of the TDC gating window at substantially a time when the phase error arrives at or crosses a predetermined threshold; and increasing the current width of the TDC gating window by a predetermined amount to build in a margin of error for the operating width of the TDC gating window.

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