IP Library Granted Patent US 12,191,865
Granted Patent B2
US 12,191,865 · App. 18/225,477 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Phase lock loop (PLL) synchronization

Inventors: David Francois Jacquet (Vaulnaveys le Haut, FR); Mostafa Ghazali (Grenoble, FR); Masoud Kahrizi (Irvine, CA); Andras Tantos (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
H03L7/07H03L7/1976
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,191,865
App. No.
18/225,477
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more timing components configured to generate a reference time signal based on a timing signal and a reference clock signal. The apparatus includes phase lock loop (PLL) configured to generate a synchronized output clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the reference time signal.

Claims (42)

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more timing components configured to generate a reference time signal based on a timing signal and a reference clock signal; and

a phase lock loop (PLL) configured to generate a synchronized output clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the reference time signal, wherein one or more timing components are configured to generate a synchronization signal to trigger phase synchronization of the PLL if the reference time signal equals a pre-set reference time signal count value and the PLL is in a locked state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reference time signal is generated at a first particular cycle of the reference clock signal, wherein synchronization of the PLL is initiated during a second particular cycle of the reference clock signal, and wherein the first particular cycle of the reference clock signal is a different cycle than the second particular cycle of the reference clock signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PLL comprises a sigma delta modulator (SDM).

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the PLL comprises a particular sigma-delta sequence.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

the PLL further comprises a first feedback divider controlled by a first divider ratio associated with the SDM.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein synchronization of the PLL comprises synchronizing a starting point of the particular sigma-delta sequence in the PLL.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PLL includes a feedback divider electrically coupled to a sigma delta modulator (SDM), and wherein the SDM is configured to define a divider ratio sequence of the feedback divider.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the SDM includes a sigma-delta sequence, and wherein the divider ratio sequence is a function of the sigma-delta sequence.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the feedback divider comprises a plurality of selective divider modulators, and wherein a first selective divider modulator of the plurality of selective divider modulators is different from a second selective divider modulator of the plurality of selective divider modulators.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PLL comprises a fractional mode PLL.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a clock PLL configured to generate and provide a second reference clock signal at a higher frequency than the reference clock signal, wherein one or more timing components are further configured to generate a third reference time signal based on the reference time signal and the second reference clock signal, wherein the third reference time signal specifies a count of a number of cycles of the second reference clock signal starting from a particular cycle of the second reference clock signal, and wherein the PLL is synchronized based on the third reference time signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the third reference time signal has a finer count resolution than the reference time signal within a same time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the timing signal, the reference time signal, and the synchronized output clock signal are periodic signals, wherein a period of the reference time signal is greater than a period of the timing signal and wherein the period of the timing signal is greater than a period of the synchronized output clock signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PLL is reset based on a combination of an active state of a synchronization enable signal and an active state of the reference time signal, wherein an inactive state of the synchronization enable signal prevents the reference time signal from resetting the PLL.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a phase lock loop (PLL), wherein the PLL includes a sigma delta modulator (SDM), and wherein the PLL is configured to generate an output clock signal based on a reference clock signal, wherein the SDM is reset based on the reference clock signal, a timing signal, and a reference time signal; and

one or more timing components configured to generate the reference time signal based on a timing signal and the reference clock signal; and a clock PLL configured to generate and provide a second reference clock signal at a higher frequency than the reference clock signal, wherein:

the one or more timing components are configured to generate a second reference time signal based on the reference time signal and the second reference clock signal;

the second reference time signal specifies a count of a number of cycles of the second reference clock signal starting from a particular cycle of the second reference clock signal; and

the SDM is reset based on the second reference time signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the SDM is reset based on a particular cycle of the reference clock signal when the PLL is in a locked state.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the SDM includes a sigma-delta sequence, and wherein resetting of the SDM comprises aligning the sigma-delta sequence of the SDM to a particular point in the sigma-delta sequence.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further configured to:

receive the timing signal and the reference clock signal;

generate the reference time signal based on the timing signal and the reference clock signal; and

reset the SDM based on the reference time signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reference time signal is generated within a particular cycle of the reference clock signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second reference time signal has a finer count resolution than the reference time signal for a same time period.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a phase lock loop (PLL), wherein the PLL includes a sigma delta modulator (SDM), wherein the PLL is configured to generate an output clock signal based on a reference clock signal, wherein the SDM is reset based on the reference clock signal, a timing signal, and a reference time signal, and wherein the reference clock signal comprises a first reference clock signal and the PLL is configured to generate an output clock signal based on a reference clock signal;

a counter configured to generate, based on a timing signal and the first reference clock signal, a first reference time signal indicative of a count of periods of the first reference clock signal;

a second reference clock configured to generate a second reference clock signal having a second frequency different from a first frequency associated with the first reference clock signal;

a clock generator configured to generate, based on the first reference clock signal, the second reference clock signal, and a phase selection, a third reference clock signal having a third frequency, wherein at least one or more of the third frequency or a phase shift of the third reference clock signal is different from the second reference clock signal; and

a second counter configured to generate a third reference time signal indicative of sub-periods of the third reference clock signal in accordance with the phase selection, wherein the SDM is reset using the third reference time signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the second frequency is greater than the first frequency and the third frequency is less than the second frequency.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the third reference time signal indicates a number of phase increments for each period of the third reference clock signal that is 360 divided by a phase increment associated with the phase selection.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising one or more timing components configured to generate the reference time signal based on the timing signal and the reference clock signal, wherein the SDM is reset based on a combination of an active state of a synchronization enable signal and an active state of the reference time signal, wherein an inactive state of the synchronization enable signal prevents the reference time signal from resetting the SDM.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the timing signal, the reference time signal, and the output clock signal are periodic signals, wherein a period of the reference time signal is greater than a period of the timing signal and wherein the period of the timing signal is greater than a period of the output clock signal.

Assignments (7)
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION (STATE OF DELAWARE TO STATE OF TEXAS; NEW FILE NO.: 805421124; FILED : 02-14-2024) Recorded Feb 14, 2025
From: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
To: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 070631/0644 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: GHAZALI, MOSTAFA
To: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
Reel/Frame 064361/0421 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: KAHRIZI, MASOUD
To: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 064361/0481 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: JACQUET, DAVID FRANCOIS
To: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
Reel/Frame 064361/0295 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
To: STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V.
Reel/Frame 064361/0778 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V.
To: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 064361/0836 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: TANTOS, ANDRAS
To: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Reel/Frame 064361/0575 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17714081 · Apr 5, 2022
Continuation 17401208 · Aug 12, 2021
Continuation 16858675 · Apr 26, 2020
Provisional Application 62982998 · Feb 28, 2020
Provisional Application 62847833 · May 14, 2019
Related Publication 20230378960A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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