Circuit with variation correction function
View Patent ↗A circuit with variation correction function is capable of obtaining an output characteristic near a desired value by suppressing variation of the output characteristic regardless of manufacturing characteristic variations of a component. An output signal different in phase from a reference signal is obtained by a dummy circuit having a capacitor of a same structure as a correction object capacitor in an operation circuit. The difference in phase between the reference signal and the output signal reflects manufacturing characteristic variation of the correction object capacitor. The difference in phase is detected by a phase comparator circuit and control signals are created by a control signal conversion circuit. Switches in the operation circuit are changed over with the control signal to adjust the capacitance of the correction object capacitor. The correction object capacitor is actuated at a capacitance near design capacitance regardless of manufacturing characteristic variation of the correction object capacitor.
1. A circuit with variation correction function comprising:
an actual operation circuit which receives a voltage control signal and outputs an oscillation signal having a frequency corresponding to the voltage control signal, and which includes a to-be-corrected element, wherein the actual operation circuit is a voltage control oscillator, which includes a resonance circuit receiving the voltage control signal; and
a correction circuit which is structured separately from the actual operation circuit, uses a signal which is not related to the voltage control signal as the reference signal, and outputs a control signal reflecting manufacturing characteristic variations to the actual operation circuit without being affected by an operation condition of the actual operation circuit, wherein the control signal is not fed back to the correction circuit;
wherein the actual operation circuit and the correction circuit are arranged in one chip, and the manufacturing characteristic variations of the to-be-corrected element in the actual operation circuit are corrected for operation by the control signal outputted from the correction circuit, and
wherein the correction circuit includes:
a dummy circuit which is constituted by an element structured same as the to-be-corrected element and receives an input of a reference signal; and
a conversion circuit which outputs the control signal based on an output signal of the dummy circuit.
2. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 1 , wherein the conversion circuit generates the control signal based on a difference between the reference signal and the output signal of the dummy circuit.
3. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 2 ,
wherein the dummy circuit outputs a signal which has a phase difference with reference to the reference signal; and
the conversion circuit generates the control signal based on the phase difference between the reference signal and the output signal of the dummy circuit.
4. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 1 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit includes: a supplemental element type of which is similar to the to-be-corrected element; and
a switch for changing connection condition of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
5. A circuit with variation correction, function according to claim 2 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit includes: a supplemental element type of which is the same as the to-be-corrected element; and
a switch for changing connection condition of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
6. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 3 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit includes: a supplemental element type of which is same as the to-be-corrected element; and
a switch for changing connection condition of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
7. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 4 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit further includes: a plurality of the supplemental elements and the switches as many as or more than the supplemental elements; and
each of the switches connects the to-be-corrected element- and one of the supplemental elements so that a characteristic of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element as a whole should approximate to a design value of characteristic with respect to the to-be-corrected element, according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
8. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 5 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit further includes: a plurality of the supplemental elements and the switches as many as or more than the supplemental elements; and
each of the switches connects the to-be-corrected element and one of the supplemental elements so that a characteristic of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element as a whole should approximate to a design value of characteristic with respect to the to-be-corrected element, according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
9. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 6 ,
wherein the actual operation circuit further includes: a plurality of the supplemental elements and the switches as many as or more than the supplemental elements; and
each of the switches connects the to-be-corrected element and one of the supplemental elements so that a characteristic of the to-be-corrected element and the supplemental element as a whole should approximate to a design value of characteristic with respect to the to-be-corrected element, according to the control signal outputted from the correction circuit.
10. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 7 ,
wherein the conversion circuit includes comparators as many as the supplemental elements, which compare the output signal of the dummy circuit with reference values and generate control signals according to comparison results;
each of the comparators has its own reference value; and
each of the switches changes connection conditions of the corresponding supplemental element and the to-be-corrected element, based on the control signal from the corresponding comparator.
11. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 8 ,
wherein the conversion circuit includes comparators as many as the supplemental elements, which compare the output signal of the dummy circuit with reference values and generate control signals according to comparison results;
each of the comparators has its own reference value; and
each of the switches changes connection conditions of the corresponding supplemental element and the to-be-corrected element, based on the control signal from the corresponding comparator.
12. A circuit with variation correction function according to claim 9 , wherein the conversion circuit includes comparators as many as the supplemental elements, which compare the output signal of the dummy circuit with reference values and generate control signals according to comparison results;
each of the comparators has its own reference value; and
each of the switches changes connection conditions of the corresponding supplemental element and the to-be-corrected element, based on the control signal from the corresponding comparator.