IP Library Granted Patent US 10,727,848
Granted Patent B2
US 10,727,848 · App. 14/794,661 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Phase-locked loop having a multi-band oscillator and method for calibrating same

Inventors: Pablo Cruz Dato (Valencia, ES); Declan M. Dalton (Ballyneety, IE); Patrick G. Crowley (Mungret, IE)
Assignee: Analog Devices Global
H03L7/0994H03L7/0818H03L7/0992H03L2207/06H03L2207/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,727,848
App. No.
14/794,661
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising a multi-band oscillator and a memory configured to store control input for the oscillator. The PLL is operable in a calibration mode in which the PLL is configured to acquire a frequency controlled word (FCW) for the PLL corresponding to a frequency generated by the oscillator in response to a first control input threshold on a first band of the oscillator; generate a frequency corresponding to said FCW on a second band of the oscillator adjacent to said first band; identify a second control input causing the oscillator to generate said frequency corresponding to said FCW and store said second control input in memory.

Claims (52)

1. A phase-locked loop (PLL) that is re-configurable for calibration, the PLL comprising:

an input of the PLL configured to receive a frequency controlled word (FCW);

a multi-band oscillator, a loop filter, and a memory configured to store a control input value for the multi-band oscillator;

wherein the PLL is operable in a calibration mode to provide an output from the loop filter to the input of the PLL to thereby acquire a value for the FCW based on the output from the loop filter, and wherein an output of the multi-band oscillator is coupled to an input of the loop filter;

wherein the PLL is operable to provide the output from the loop filter to the multi-band oscillator and to determine the control input value based on providing the value for the FCW to the input of the PLL; and

wherein the PLL is configured to provide a control input threshold value to a fine control input of the multi-band oscillator in the calibration mode while the multi-band oscillator operates in a first band.

2. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein the loop filter is configured to provide the output to the fine control input of said multi-band oscillator and to provide a second output to a coarse control input of the multi-band oscillator in a normal mode of operation of the PLL.

3. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein the multi-band oscillator is configured to generate a frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW when the control input threshold value is provided to the fine control input in the calibration mode while the multi-band oscillator operates in the first band; and

wherein the PLL is configured to change to the normal mode and identify the control input value that causes the multi-band oscillator to generate the frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW while operating the multi-band oscillator in a second band to generate the frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW, the second band being adjacent to the first band.

4. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein prior to said acquiring of the value for the FCW, the PLL is further configured to set the fine control input of the multi- band oscillator to the control input threshold value.

5. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein for each band of the multi- band oscillator, the PLL is further configured to store in said memory a respective control input value that, when provided to the multi-band oscillator, causes the multi-band oscillator to generate a respective value for the FCW on another adjacent band of the multi-band oscillator.

6. The PLL of claim 4 , wherein the PLL is a digital PLL, and wherein the multi-band oscillator is a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) configured to receive a coarse digital control input and a fine digital control input, the control input threshold value being provided for the fine digital control input.

7. A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a frequency ramp signal;

a frequency ramp generator configured to produce the frequency ramp signal, the frequency ramp generator comprising a phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising:

a multi-band oscillator,

a loop filter,

a memory configured to store a control input value for providing to a control input for the multi-band oscillator, and

a phase accumulator comprising an input of the PLL configured to receive a frequency controlled word (FCW);

wherein the PLL is operable in a calibration mode in which the PLL is configured to provide an output from the loop filter to an input of the PLL to thereby acquire a value for the FCW and wherein an output of the multi-band oscillator is coupled to an input of the loop filter; and

wherein the PLL is operable to provide the output from the loop filter to the multi-band oscillator and to determine the control input value based on providing the value for the FCW to the input of the PLL.

8. The FMCW radar device of claim 7 , wherein the loop filter is further configured to provide a second output to a coarse control input of the multi-band oscillator, and wherein the control input is a fine control input of the multi-band oscillator.

9. The FMCW radar device of claim 8 , wherein the PLL is further configured to:

generate a frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW when a control input threshold value is provided to the fine control input while the multi-band oscillator operates in a first coarse band while the PLL is in the calibration mode;

determine the control input value based on providing the value for the FCW to the input of the PLL while the multi-band oscillator generates the frequency while operating in a second coarse band that is adjacent to the first coarse band while the PLL is in the normal mode; and

store the control input value into the memory.

10. The FMCW radar device of claim 9 , wherein the PLL is configured to perform the acquiring, the generating, the determining of the control input values, and the storing for each band of the multi-band oscillator successively.

11. The FMCW radar device of claim 7 , wherein prior to said acquiring of the value for the FCW, the PLL is further configured to set the control input of the multi-band oscillator to have a control input threshold value.

12. The FMCW radar device of claim 7 , wherein for each band of the multi-band oscillator, the PLL is configured to store in said memory a respective control input generating respective values for said FCW on a respective adjacent band of the multi-band oscillator.

13. The FMCW radar device of claim 7 , wherein the PLL is a digital PLL, the multi-band oscillator is a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) configured to receive a coarse digital control input and a fine digital control input.

14. A vehicle comprising the frequency modulated continuous (FMCW) radar device of claim 7 .

15. A frequency calibration method for calibrating a phase- locked loop (PLL) comprising a multi-band oscillator, the method comprising:

coupling an output of a loop filter of the PLL to an input of the PLL in a calibration mode, wherein the input of the PLL is configured to receive a frequency controlled word (FCW) in a second mode;

acquiring a value for the FCW based on an output of the loop filter while an output of the multi-band oscillator is coupled to an input of the loop filter and a first control input threshold value is provided on a first band of the multi-band oscillator;

generating a frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW on a second band of the multi-band oscillator adjacent to said first band; and

identifying and storing a second control input value for the second band that, when provided to the multi-band oscillator, causes the multi-band oscillator to generate said frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the frequency corresponding to the value for the FCW is generated on the second band of the multi-band oscillator while the output of the loop filter is coupled to an input of the multi-band oscillator.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising prior to said acquiring of the value for the FCW, setting a fine control input of the multi-band oscillator to have said first control input threshold value.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the acquiring, the generating, the identifying, and the storing are performed for each band of the multi-band oscillator.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, for each band of the multi-band oscillator: storing in a look-up table a further control input value that causes the multi-band oscillator to generate the value for the FCW on another adjacent band of the multi- band oscillator.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PLL is a digital PLL, the multi-band oscillator is a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) and the method comprises receiving a coarse digital control input and a fine digital control input.

21. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein the PLL comprises a phase accumulator, and the input of PLL is an input of the phase accumulator.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein said coupling comprises coupling the output of the loop filter to an input of a phase accumulator of the PLL.

23. A phase-locked loop (PLL) that is re-configurable for calibration, the PLL comprising:

an input of the PLL configured to receive a frequency controlled word (FCW);

a multi-band oscillator, a loop filter, and a memory configured to store a control input value for the multi-band oscillator;

wherein the PLL is operable in a calibration mode to provide an output from the loop filter to the input of the PLL to thereby acquire a value for the FCW based on the output from the loop filter, and wherein an output of the multi-band oscillator is coupled to an input of the loop filter;

wherein the PLL is operable to provide the output from the loop filter to the multi- band oscillator and to determine the control input value based on providing the value for the FCW to the input of the PLL; and

wherein prior to said acquiring of the value for the FCW, the PLL is further configured to set a fine control input of the multi-band oscillator to a control input threshold value.

24. The PLL of claim 23 , wherein the PLL is a digital PLL, and wherein the multi-band oscillator is a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) configured to receive a coarse digital control input and the fine control input.

25. The PLL of claim 1 , wherein the PLL comprises a phase accumulator, and the input of PLL is an input of the phase accumulator.

26. The PLL of claim 23 , wherein the PLL is configured to provide the control input threshold value to the fine control input of the multi-band oscillator in the calibration mode while the multi-band oscillator operates in a first band.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2020
From: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
To: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
Reel/Frame 053403/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2020
From: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
To: ANALOG DEVICES INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
Reel/Frame 053403/0201 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2017
From: DALTON, DECLAN M.
To: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
Reel/Frame 042329/0883 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2015
From: DATO, PABLO CRUZ; DALTON, DECLAN D.; CROWLEY, PATRICK G.
To: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
Reel/Frame 036824/0741 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170012631A1 · Jan 12, 2017
Cited By (5)
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