IP Library Granted Patent US 10,439,556
Granted Patent B2
US 10,439,556 · App. 15/491,803 · Granted Oct 8, 2019

Hybrid RC/crystal oscillator

Inventor: Jason Sachs (Chandler, AZ)
Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
H03B5/32H03B5/20H03L7/14H03B2201/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,439,556
App. No.
15/491,803
Granted
Oct 8, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An oscillator includes a tunable oscillator, a phase detector circuit communicatively coupled with an output of the tunable oscillator and an input to the oscillator, and an oscillator controller circuit configured to adjust frequency of the tunable oscillator based upon phase detection between output of the tunable oscillator and output of an external resonant element received at the input to the oscillator.

Claims (45)

1. An oscillator, comprising:

a tunable oscillator communicatively coupled with a first pin and configured to issue output through the first pin;

a phase detector circuit communicatively coupled with an output of the tunable oscillator and an input to the oscillator; and

an oscillator controller circuit configured to adjust frequency of the tunable oscillator based upon phase detection between output of the tunable oscillator and output of an external resonant element received at the input to the oscillator; wherein:

the phase detector circuit is further configured to receive input from the external resonant element through the first pin for the oscillator.

2. The oscillator of claim 1 , further comprising a second pin communicatively coupled to input to the oscillator, wherein:

the tunable oscillator is configured to issue output through the first pin; and

the phase detector circuit is configured to receive input to the oscillator through the second pin.

3. The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein:

the tunable oscillator is configured to issue output through a driver circuit at the first pin; and

the phase detector circuit is configured to receive input to the oscillator through the first pin;

the driver circuit is configured to issue the output at the first pin as a current source and to detect voltage on the first pin as the input to the oscillator.

4. The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to output a crystal oscillator status based upon input to the oscillator.

5. The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to maintain output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that an external resonant element has failed to generate a usable input to the oscillator.

6. The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to adjust output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that a phase lock has been achieved between output of the tunable oscillator and the input to the oscillator.

7. The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to maintain output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that a phase lock between output of the tunable oscillator and the input to the oscillator has been lost.

8. The oscillator of claim 1 , further comprising a frequency multiplier circuit coupled between the tunable oscillator and the first pin, wherein an output of the frequency multiplier is coupled with the phase detector circuit to provide the output of the tunable oscillator.

9. A microcontroller, comprising:

a processor;

one or more peripheral circuits; and

an oscillator, comprising:

a tunable oscillator communicatively coupled with a first pin and configured to provide an oscillation signal to one or more of the peripheral circuits through the first pin;

a phase detector circuit communicatively coupled with an output of the tunable oscillator and an input to the oscillator; and

an oscillator controller circuit configured to adjust frequency of the tunable oscillator based upon phase detection between output of the tunable oscillator and output of an external resonant element received at the input to the oscillator;

wherein the phase detector circuit is further configured to receive input from the external resonant element through the first pin for the oscillator.

10. The microcontroller of claim 9 , further comprising a second pin communicatively coupled to input to the oscillator, wherein:

the tunable oscillator is configured to issue output through the first pin; and

the phase detector circuit is configured to receive input to the oscillator through the second pin.

11. The microcontroller of claim 9 , wherein:

the tunable oscillator is configured to issue output through a driver circuit at the first pin; and

the phase detector circuit is configured to receive input to the oscillator through the first pin;

the driver circuit is configured to issue the output at the first pin as a current source and to detect voltage on the first pin as the input to the oscillator.

12. The microcontroller of claim 9 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to output a crystal oscillator status based upon input to the oscillator.

13. The microcontroller of claim 9 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to maintain output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that an external resonant element has failed to generate a usable input to the oscillator.

14. The microcontroller of claim 9 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to adjust output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that a phase lock has been achieved between output of the tunable oscillator and the input to the oscillator.

15. The microcontroller of claim 9 , wherein the oscillator controller circuit is further configured to maintain output of the tunable oscillator based upon a determination that a phase lock between output of the tunable oscillator and the input to the oscillator has been lost.

16. The microcontroller of claim 9 , further comprising a frequency multiplier circuit coupled between the tunable oscillator and the first pin, wherein an output of the frequency multiplier is coupled with the phase detector circuit to provide the output of the tunable oscillator.

17. A system, comprising:

a semiconductor device, comprising a first external pin and an internal oscillator; and

an external resonant element coupled to the semiconductor device at least through the first external pin;

wherein the internal oscillator comprises:

a tunable oscillator communicatively coupled with the first pin and configured to provide an oscillation signal to a portion of the semiconductor device through the first pin;

a phase detector circuit communicatively coupled with an output of the tunable oscillator and an input to the internal oscillator; and

an oscillator controller circuit configured to adjust frequency of the tunable oscillator based upon phase detection between output of the tunable oscillator and output of the external resonant element received at the input to the internal oscillator;

wherein the phase detector circuit is further configured to receive input from the external resonant element through the first pin for the oscillator.

Assignments (14)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2025
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY IRELAND LIMITED; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; ATMEL CORPORATION; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORP.; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR ULC; MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
To: CRESTONE IP MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 071991/0419 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0335 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059263/0001 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058214/0625 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052856/0909 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2017
From: SACHS, JASON
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 042068/0787 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62325042 · Apr 20, 2016
Related Publication 20170310278A1 · Oct 26, 2017