IP Library Granted Patent US 8,686,770
Granted Patent B2
US 8,686,770 · App. 13/962,325 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Digital phase locked loop with feedback loops

Inventors: Emmanouil Frantzeskakis (Ilioupolis, GR); Georgios Sfikas (Glyfada, GR); Stephen Wu (Fountain Valley, CA); Radha Srinivasan (Irvine, CA); Henrik Tholstrup Jensen (Long Beach, CA); Brima Ibrahim (Laguna Hills, CA)
Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,686,770
App. No.
13/962,325
Granted
Apr 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Designs of devices having digital phase locked loop (DPLL) circuits that include multiple digital feedback loops to generate high frequency clock signals by a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO). A time-to-digital converter (TDC) module is provided in such a DPLL circuit to receive an input reference clock signal and a first feedback clock signal from a first digital feedback loop and produces a digital TDC output indicative of a first phase error caused by a difference in time between the input reference clock signal and the first feedback clock signal. A second digital feedback loop is provided to generate a second digital feedback signal indicative of a second phase error caused by a difference in frequency between a desired clock signal and a generated clock signal generated by the DCO. The first and second digital feedback loops are coupled to the DCO to generate the high frequency clock signals.

Claims (26)

1. A digital phase locked loop comprising:

a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to receive an input reference clock signal to produce a first digital feedback signal;

an adder configured to add said first digital feedback signal from a first feedback loop and a second digital feedback signal from a second feedback loop and produce a digital adder output;

a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) configured to receive said digital adder output and produce a DCO output clock signal, said DCO output clock signal being locked in phase to said input reference clock signal.

2. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a calibration circuit coupled to said first feedback loop and configured to calibrate a TDC signal provided by said TDC.

3. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a calibration circuit coupled to said second feedback loop and configured to calibrate a TDC signal provided by said TDC.

4. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a calibration circuit coupled to a conversion circuit to cause a first phase error from said first feedback loop and a second phase error from said second feedback to have a same unit.

5. The digital phase locked loop of claim 4 , wherein said conversion circuit includes a multiplication circuit.

6. The digital phase locked loop of claim 4 , wherein said conversion circuit is coupled to said second feedback loop.

7. The digital phase locked loop of claim 4 , wherein said conversion circuit includes a division circuit.

8. The digital phase locked loop of claim 4 , wherein said conversion circuit is coupled to said first feedback loop.

9. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , wherein said first and second feedback loops share a sampling circuit configured to sample said input reference clock signal at a clock rate of said DCO output clock signal.

10. The digital phase locked loop of claim 9 , further comprising a supervisor circuit configured to adjust a timing of a sampling at said sampling circuit.

11. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , wherein said second feedback loop includes a digital comparison circuit configured to produce a frequency error signal.

12. The digital phase locked loop of claim 11 , wherein said frequency error signal is indicative of a frequency difference between a desired clock signal and said DCO output clock signal.

13. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a digital integrator configured to convert a frequency difference between a desired frequency and a generated frequency of said DCO output clock signal into said second digital feedback signal.

14. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a loop filter.

15. The digital phase locked loop of claim 1 , further comprising a dither circuit coupled between said adder and said DCO.

16. A digital phase locked loop comprising:

a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to receive an input reference clock signal;

a calibration circuit coupled to a first feedback loop and configured to calibrate a TDC signal provided by said TDC;

a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) configured to produce a DCO output clock signal, said DCO output clock signal being locked in phase to said input reference clock signal.

17. The digital phase locked loop of claim 16 , further comprising a calibration circuit coupled to a second feedback loop and configured to calibrate said TDC signal.

18. The digital phase locked loop of claim 17 , wherein said first and second feedback loops share a sampling circuit configured to sample said input reference clock signal at a clock rate of said DCO output clock signal.

19. The digital phase locked loop of claim 18 , further comprising a supervisor circuit configured to adjust a timing of a sampling at said sampling circuit.

20. The digital phase locked loop of claim 16 , further comprising a loop filter.

Assignments (7)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERROR IN RECORDING THE MERGER IN THE INCORRECT US PATENT NO. 8,876,094 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 047351 FRAME 0384. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER. Recorded Mar 8, 2019
From: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049248/0558 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE MERGER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 047230 FRAME: 0910. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER. Recorded Oct 29, 2018
From: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047351/0384 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 4, 2018
From: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047230/0910 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 3, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BROADCOM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041712/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2017
From: BROADCOM CORPORATION
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 041706/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2016
From: BROADCOM CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 037806/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2013
From: FRANTZESKAKIS, EMMANOUIL; SFIKAS, GEORGIOS; WU, STEPHEN; SRINIVASAN, RADHA; JENSEN, HENRIK THOLSTRUP; IBRAHIM, BRIMA
To: BROADCOM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030971/0600 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13173694 · Jun 30, 2011
Related Publication 20140021992A1 · Jan 23, 2014