IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,303,284
Granted Patent B1
US 11,303,284 · App. 17/375,997 · Granted Apr 12, 2022

Low-power fractional analog PLL without feedback divider

Inventors: Debapriya Sahu (Karnataka, IN); Rittu Sachdev (Karnataka, IN)
Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
H03L7/0891H03L7/0802H03L7/099
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,303,284
App. No.
17/375,997
Granted
Apr 12, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

An integrated circuit device is provided. In some examples, the integrated circuit device includes a first re-timer configured to receive a reference clock signal and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) output signal, and the first re-timer is configured to provide a first re-timed clock signal in response to the reference clock signal and the VCO output signal. A multiplexer receives the first re-timed clock signal and provides a feedback clock signal. A phase frequency detector receives the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal and provides an error signal in response to the feedback clock signal and the reference clock signal. A VCO receives a voltage signal based on the error signal, and the VCO is configured to provide the VCO output signal in response to the voltage signal.

Claims (43)

1. A circuit comprising:

a phase lock loop (PLL) including:

a first PLL input;

a second PLL input; and

a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) having a VCO output signal; and

a re-timer circuit having a re-timer output coupled to the second PLL input, and a re-timer input coupled to the VCO output signal.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

the first PLL input is configured to receive a reference clock signal; and

the re-timer circuit is configured to receive the reference clock signal.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein:

the re-timer circuit is configured to output a first re-timed clock signal in response to receiving the reference clock signal and the VCO output signal.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

the PLL includes a feedback divider circuit having a feedback divider circuit input coupled to the VCO output signal and a feedback divider circuit output.

5. The circuit of claim 4 , further comprising:

a multiplexer having a first multiplexer input coupled to the re-timer output, a second multiplexer input coupled to the feedback divider circuit output, and a multiplexer output coupled to the PLL.

6. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein:

the feedback divider circuit includes a feedback buffer and a divider.

7. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein:

the feedback divider circuit is configured to be disabled.

8. The circuit of claim 7 , wherein:

the feedback divider circuit is configured to be disabled in response to a low power operation mode.

9. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the re-timer circuit is configured to output a plurality of re-timed clock signals on the re-timer output.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a phase lock loop (PLL), a power operation signal; and

in response to the power operation signal indicating low power operation:

disabling, by the PLL, a feedback divider circuit coupled to an output of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) of the PLL;

receiving, by the VCO, an error signal based on a re-timed clock signal, wherein the re-timed clock signal is based on a reference clock signal and the output of the VCO; and

outputting, by the VCO, a PLL output signal based on the error signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the re-timed clock signal includes:

a first re-timed clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the output of the VCO;

a second re-timed clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the output of the VCO;

a third re-timed clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the output of the VCO; and

a fourth re-timed clock signal based on the reference clock signal and the output of the VCO.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the first re-timed clock signal, the second re-timed clock signal, the third re-timed clock signal, and the fourth re-timed clock signal are each delayed by different numbers of clock cycles of the reference clock signal.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the feedback divider circuit is coupled a multiplexer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the re-timed clock signal is output by the multiplexer to the PLL.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the error signal corresponds to a phase error of the PLL output signal.

Continuity (1)
Continuation 17139584 · Dec 31, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,658,926