High gain detector techniques for low bandwidth low noise phase-locked loops

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a multi-modulus divider (MMD) having a divider input, a divisor input, a first divider output, and a second divider output, the MMD configurable to provide a first pulse signal at the first divider output and a second pulse signal at the second divider output, the first and second pulse signals having a same frequency and different phases;

a phase detector (PD) having a first clock input, second clock inputs, and a PD output, the second clock inputs coupled to the first and second divider outputs;

a phase to digital converter (P2DC) having a P2DC input and a P2DC output, the P2DC input coupled to the PD output; and

a delta-sigma modulator having a third clock input, a modulator input, and a modulator output, the third clock input coupled to the first or second divider outputs, the modulator input coupled to the P2DC output, and the modulator output coupled to the divisor input.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delta-sigma modulator includes a multi-stage noise shaping (MASH) digital structure.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the MASH digital structure is a second order MASH digital structure.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the delta-sigma modulator includes a feedback circuit coupled between the modulator input and the modulator output.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the feedback circuit includes a lowpass filter.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the P2DC includes a filter and an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled between the P2DC input and the P2DC output, the filter including multiple phase to charge converters (PCCs), and the ADC configurable to provide a digital signal representing a frequency ratio between a first clock signal at the divider input and a second clock signal at the first clock input.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the filter includes:

a first PCC of the multiple PCCs having a PCC input and a PCC output, the PCC input coupled to the P2DC input; and

a capacitor coupled to the PCC output; and

wherein the ADC is coupled between the PCC output and the P2DC output.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the PD output is a first PD output;

the PD has a second PD output;

the P2DC input is a first P2DC input;

the P2DC has a second P2DC input;

the PCC input is a first PCC input; and

the first PCC includes a first switch coupled between a power terminal and the PCC output and a second switch coupled between the PCC output and a ground terminal, the first switch having a first switch control terminal coupled to the first PCC input and the second switch having a second switch control terminal coupled to a second PCC input.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the PCC output is a first PCC output, the capacitor is a first capacitor;

the filter further includes a second PCC of the multiple PCCs having an input coupled to the second PCC input and the second P2DC input and a second PCC output, and a second capacitor coupled to the second PCC output;

the ADC is coupled between the first and second PCC outputs and the P2DC output; and

the second PCC includes a third switch coupled between the power terminal and the second PCC output and a fourth switch coupled between the second PCC output and the ground terminal, the third switch having a third switch control terminal coupled to the second PCC input and the fourth switch having a fourth switch control terminal coupled the first PCC input.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

an amplifier having a positive amplifier input, a negative amplifier input, and an amplifier output, the negative amplifier input coupled to the first PCC output, the positive amplifier input coupled to the second PCC output, and the amplifier output coupled to an input of the ADC; and

a third capacitor and a resistor coupled between the negative amplifier input and the amplifier output.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the resistor is a first resistor, further comprising a second resistor coupled between the first PCC output and the negative amplifier input.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a first amplifier having a first negative amplifier input, a first positive amplifier input, and a first amplifier output;

a second amplifier having a second negative amplifier input, a second positive amplifier input, and a second amplifier output;

a first resistor coupled between the first PCC output and the first negative amplifier input;

a third capacitor coupled to the first negative amplifier input;

a second resistor coupled between the second PCC output and the first positive amplifier input;

a fourth capacitor coupled to the first positive amplifier input;

a third resistor coupled between the second PCC output and the second negative amplifier input;

a fourth resistor coupled between the first PCC output and the second positive amplifier input;

a fifth capacitor coupled to the second negative amplifier input;

a sixth capacitor coupled to the second positive amplifier input;

a seventh capacitor and a fifth resistor coupled between the first negative amplifier input and the first amplifier output; and

an eighth capacitor and a sixth resistor coupled between the second negative amplifier input and the second amplifier output.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

an amplifier having a negative amplifier input, a positive amplifier input, a positive amplifier output, and a negative amplifier output; a first resistor coupled between the first PCC output and the negative amplifier input;

a third capacitor coupled to the negative amplifier input;

a second resistor coupled between the second PCC output and the positive amplifier input;

a fourth capacitor coupled to the positive amplifier input;

a fifth capacitor and a third resistor coupled between the negative amplifier input and the positive amplifier output; and

a sixth capacitor and a fourth resistor coupled between the positive amplifier input and the negative amplifier output.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second resistors includes a respective trimmable resistor, and each of first and second capacitors includes a respective variable capacitor.

15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first PCC includes a first resistor coupled between at least one of the first or second switch and the first PCC output, and the second PCC includes a second resistor coupled between at least one of the third or fourth switch and the second PCC output.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the PD output includes a first PD output and a second PD output, and

wherein the PD is configurable to:

provide a first PD signal at the first PD output representing a first phase difference between the first pulse signal and a clock signal at the first clock input; and

provide a second PD signal at the second PD output representing a second phase difference between the clock signal and the second pulse signal.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the PD has a first bang-bang (BB) PD output and a second bang-bang PD output, the first and second BB PD outputs coupled to the divisor input; and

the PD is configurable to provide a first BB PD signal at the first BB PD output and a second BB PD signal at the second BB PD output.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a phase locked loop having a fourth clock input, a fractional-N input, and a clock output, the fourth clock input coupled to the divider input, and the fractional-N input coupled to the P2DC output.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first oscillator having a first oscillator output and a second oscillator having a second oscillator output,

wherein the first oscillator output is coupled to the divider input, and the first oscillator configurable to provide a first clock signal having a first pre-determined frequency; and

wherein the second oscillator output is coupled to the first clock input, and the second oscillator configurable to provide a second clock signal having a second pre-determined frequency.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the first and second oscillators are of different types.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first oscillator is a crystal oscillator, and the second oscillator is a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) oscillator.

22 . An apparatus comprising:

a divider having a divider input, a divisor input, a first divider output, and a second divider output, the divider configurable to provide a first signal at the first divider output and a second signal at the second divider output, the first and second signals having a same frequency and different phases;

a phase detector having a first clock input, second clock inputs, and a PD output, the second clock inputs coupled to the first and second divider output; and

a phase to digital converter (P2DC) having a P2DC input and a P2DC output, the P2DC input coupled to the PD output, and the P2DC output coupled to the divisor input, the P2DC including multiple phase to charge converters (PCCs) coupled between the P2DC input and the P2DC output.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the P2DC includes a filter and an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled between the P2DC input and the P2DC output, the filter including the multiple PCCs, and the ADC configurable to provide a digital signal representing a frequency ratio between a first clock signal at the divider input and a second clock signal at the first clock input.

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase detector is a linear phase detector or a bang-bang phase detector.

25 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the phase detector is a linear phase detector or a bang-bang phase detector.