Oscillator with a multiple pole resonator
An oscillator has a feedback loop with a signal output, a multi-pole resonator, and a gain block. The gain block applies a gain sufficient to generate a stable oscillation signal at the signal output; and the multi-pole resonator is tunable between two or more resonance modes.
1 . An oscillator, comprising:
a feedback loop having a signal output, a multi-pole resonator, and a gain block, wherein, in operation:
the gain block operates in saturation and applies a gain sufficient to generate a stable oscillation signal at the signal output, the stable oscillation signal being continuously variable;
the multi-pole resonator selectably operates in two or more resonance modes; and
the two or more resonance modes are exclusively driven by a noise signal in the feedback loop.
2 . The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the two or more resonance modes are frequency-tunable.
3 . The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the two or more resonance modes are voltage- controlled.
4 . The oscillator of claim 2 , further comprising a controller comprising instructions to tune the two or more resonance modes to achieve a desired oscillation frequency.
5 . The oscillator of claim 2 , further comprising a controller comprising instructions to tune the two or more resonance modes to control a phase noise of the oscillator.
6 . The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the multi-pole resonator comprises two or more resonators.
7 . The oscillator of claim 6 , wherein each resonator comprises a varactor or a set of switched capacitors.
8 . The oscillator of claim 6 , further comprising more than one gain block, at least one gain block separating adjacent resonators of the two or more of resonators.
9 . The oscillator of claim 6 , wherein at least two adjacent resonators of the two or more resonators are directly coupled.
10 . The oscillator of claim 1 , wherein the gain block operates in soft saturation.
11 . A method of operating an oscillator, comprising the steps of:
providing an oscillator comprising a feedback loop having a signal output, a multi-pole resonator having two or more resonance modes, and a gain block, the two or more resonance modes being exclusively driven by a noise signal in the feedback loop;
producing a continuously variable signal having a desired oscillation frequency by:
operating the gain block in saturation and to apply a gain sufficient to generate a stable oscillation signal at the signal output; and
operating the multi-pole resonator in one of the two or more resonance modes.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-pole resonator is tunable between the two or more resonance modes.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the two or more resonance modes are voltage-controlled.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of tuning the two or more resonance modes to achieve a desired oscillation frequency.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of tuning the two or more resonance modes to control a phase noise of the oscillator.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-pole resonator comprises two or more resonators.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each resonator comprises a varactor or a set of switched capacitors.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising more than one gain block, at least one gain block separating adjacent resonators of the two or more of resonators.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least two adjacent resonators of the two or more resonators are directly coupled.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the gain block operates in soft saturation.
21 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of tuning the resonance modes to tune the desired oscillation frequency.
22 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of tuning the resonance modes to control a phase noise of the oscillator.
23 . A method of designing an oscillator, comprising the steps of:
providing an oscillator comprising a feedback loop having a signal output, a multi-pole resonator, and a gain block, wherein the multi-pole resonator is selected to have two or more resonance modes, and the gain block is selected to be operable in saturation and to generate a stable oscillation signal at the signal output, and wherein the multi-pole resonator is selected as having two or more resonance modes that generate a continuously variable signal having a desired oscillation frequency, the two or more resonance modes being exclusively driven by a noise signal in the feedback loop.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the multi-pole resonator is frequency-tunable between the two or more resonance modes.
25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the two or more resonance modes are voltage-controlled.
26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the two or more resonance modes are selected to provide a desired phase noise response of the oscillator.
27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the multi-pole resonator comprises two or more resonators.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein each resonator comprises a varactor or a set of switched capacitors.
29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the feedback loop further comprises more than one gain block, at least one gain block separating adjacent resonators of the two or more of resonators.
30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein at least two adjacent resonators of the two or more resonators are directly coupled.
31 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the gain block is operable in soft saturation.