Patent · US Active

Reference clock sampling digital PLL

US8395428B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 2011
Grant dateMar 12, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

A digital phase locked loop (DPLL) operates in the frequency domain. The period (and hence frequency) of a reference frequency clock signal is determined by sampling with a (higher frequency) digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) clock. The period is compared to the period representation of a desired frequency, and the frequency error signal is integrated in a loop filter and applied as a control input to the DCO. To prevent spurious emissions resulting from the accumulation of quantization errors in the frequency determination and comparison operations, the arrival time of state transition edges of the reference frequency clock signal are randomized prior to sampling. The edge randomization control signal preferably has a triangular probability density function, and its spectrum has most significant energy outside the loop bandwidth of the DPLL; hence, the spurious emissions caused by the accumulation of quantization errors are filtered out by the loop filter.

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