With Frequency Detector And Phase Detector Patents (Class 375/375)
  • Patent number: 11742861
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for generating early and late votes for a clock recovery system, each early or late vote associated with a detected transitional data pattern in a data stream, generating a first early-late vote measurement reflective of an imbalance between the early and late votes that are generated during a first time interval, generating a second early-late vote measurement reflective of an imbalance between the early and late votes that are generated during a second time interval, comparing the first and the second early-late vote measurements, and outputting a CDR-lock signal at least in part responsive to determining that the first and the second early-late vote measurements are within a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: KANDOU LABS SA
    Inventors: Kiarash Gharibdoust, Ali Hormati
  • Patent number: 11303284
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Debapriya Sahu, Rittu Sachdev
  • Patent number: 11271573
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device that is configured to determine whether a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit is operating normally, thereby preventing component damage in the electronic device and preventing disconnection from a communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventors: Youngmin Lee, Woojin Kim, Hyoseok Na
  • Patent number: 11196428
    Abstract: A Quadrature Voltage Controlled Oscillator (Quad VCO) based on standard digital cells and delay cells, is adapted to generate two high-frequency output signals that are “in quadrature”, so they both oscillate with similar frequency while exhibiting a mutual phase offset of about 90 degrees, and a) the digital cells include a mix of digital circuits used for implementing standard flip-flop circuits and standard logic gates; and b) the delay cells include circuits accepting a logic signal at their input and outputting a time-delayed version of said input signal, with a time delay that may be varied by a control voltage analog signal that determines the cell delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoni Yosef-Hay, Ulrik Wismar
  • Patent number: 11184008
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a receiver that includes a clock and data recovery loop and a phase offset loop. The clock and data recovery loop may be controlled by a sum of gradients for a plurality of data interleaves. The phase offset loop may be controlled by an accumulated differential gradient for each of the data interleaves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corp.
    Inventors: Gaurawa Kumar, Ky-Anh Tran, Olakanmi Oluwole, Vishnu Balan
  • Patent number: 11095293
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Debapriya Sahu, Rittu Sachdev
  • Patent number: 10917144
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for using a single wideband pilot signal to reduce a timing misalignment between receivers in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio system. The multiple generators of the MIMO radio system may be aligned using a second wideband pilot signal subsequent to performing the receiver alignment. The calibration kit of the MIMO radio system may be aligned using a third wideband pilot signal prior to performing the receiver alignment. Alignment may be achieved to subsample precision by determining time delays from the rate of change of the phase shift of the wideband pilot signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Tanim Mohammed Abu Taher, Edward Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 10873444
    Abstract: A circuit includes a phase and frequency detector circuit to generate a first phase detect signal indicative of whether a polarity of a first clock is the same as a polarity of a second clock upon occurrence of an edge of a data signal. The second clock being 90 degrees out of phase with respect to the first clock. A lock detect circuit determines, based on the first phase detect signal, that a third clock is one of frequency and phase locked to the data signal, frequency and quadrature locked to the data signal, and not frequency locked to the data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Abishek Manian, Michael Gerald Vrazel
  • Patent number: 10840919
    Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit includes a phase detector (PD) having a data input, a second input, and an output. The circuit also includes a filter, first and second charge pumps, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and a frequency detector (FD). The first charge pump couples between the output of the PD and the filter. The VCO has first and second inputs and an output. The first input of the VCO couples to the filter, and the VCO output couple to the second input of the PD. The FD has a data input, a second input, and first and second outputs. The FD second output couples to the second input of the VCO. The FD data input couples to the data input of the phase detector, and the FD second input couples to the output of the VCO. The second charge pump couples between the FD first output and the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Shyam Subramanian, Nagalinga Swamy Basayya Aremallapur, Jagannathan Venkataraman, Aravind Ganesan
  • Patent number: 10637636
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there is provided systems and methods for jitter sensing and adaptive control of parameters of clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits. A receiver component includes an adaptive CDR loop dynamic control circuit. The adaptive CDR loop dynamic control circuit is to detect first sinusoidal jitter at a first frequency and a first amplitude and update parameters of the CDR circuit to a first plurality of values based on the first frequency and the first amplitude. The adaptive CDR loop dynamic control circuit is further to detect second sinusoidal jitter at a second frequency and a second amplitude and update the parameters of the CDR circuit to a second plurality of values based on the second frequency and the second amplitude. The first sinusoidal jitter is in a first incoming data signal and the second sinusoidal jitter is in a second incoming data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yun He, Adhiveeraraghavan Srikanth, Sanjib Sarkar
  • Patent number: 10587276
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer generates a wide range of frequencies from a single oscillator while achieving good noise performance. A cascaded phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes a first PLL circuit with an LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a second PLL circuit with a ring VCO. A feedforward path from the first PLL circuit to the second PLL circuit provides means and signal path for cancellation of phase noise, thereby reducing or eliminating spur and quantization effects. The frequency synthesizer can directly generate in-phase and quadrature phase output signals. A split-tuned ring-based VCO is controlled via a phase error detection loop to reduce or eliminate phase error between the quadrature signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Masum Hossain, Farshid Aryanfar
  • Patent number: 10340189
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a first set of fin structures having a first pitch, and a second set of fin structure having a second pitch, wherein the second pitch is greater than the first pitch. An epitaxial semiconductor material on the first and second set of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material on the first fin structures is merging epitaxial material and the epitaxial material on the second fin structures is non-merging epitaxial material. A dielectric liner is formed atop the epitaxial semiconductor material that is present on the first and second sets of fin structures. The dielectric liner is removed from a portion of the non-merging epitaxial material that is present on the second set of fin structures. A bridging epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on exposed surfaces of the non-merging epitaxial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan, Junli Wang, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10263761
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a clock recovery circuit for a multi-lane communication system. Local clocks are recovered from the input signals using respective local CDR circuits, and associated CDR error signals are aggregated or otherwise combined. A global recovered clock for shared use by the local CDR circuits is generated at a controllable oscillation frequency as a function of a combination of the error signals from the plurality of receivers. A voltage- or current-controlled delay line can also be used to phase adjust the global recovered clock to mitigate band-limited, lane-correlated, high frequency jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Masum Hossain, Brian Leibowitz, Jihong Ren
  • Patent number: 10236212
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a first set of fin structures having a first pitch, and a second set of fin structure having a second pitch, wherein the second pitch is greater than the first pitch. An epitaxial semiconductor material on the first and second set of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material on the first fin structures is merging epitaxial material and the epitaxial material on the second fin structures is non-merging epitaxial material. A dielectric liner is formed atop the epitaxial semiconductor material that is present on the first and second sets of fin structures. The dielectric liner is removed from a portion of the non-merging epitaxial material that is present on the second set of fin structures. A bridging epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on exposed surfaces of the non-merging epitaxial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan, Junli Wang, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10090202
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a first set of fin structures having a first pitch, and a second set of fin structure having a second pitch, wherein the second pitch is greater than the first pitch. An epitaxial semiconductor material on the first and second set of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material on the first fin structures is merging epitaxial material and the epitaxial material on the second fin structures is non-merging epitaxial material. A dielectric liner is formed atop the epitaxial semiconductor material that is present on the first and second sets of fin structures. The dielectric liner is removed from a portion of the non-merging epitaxial material that is present on the second set of fin structures. A bridging epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on exposed surfaces of the non-merging epitaxial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan, Junli Wang, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10084623
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provide for a multichannel clock and data recovery (CDR) device that shares information between channels. In an example, a multiple channel communication circuit can include a plurality of clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits, each CDR circuit of the plurality of CDR circuits associated with a channel of the multiple channel communication circuit. In certain examples, each CDR circuit can be configured to detect an incoming stream of data from the channel, to determine a setting of one or more parameters for correctly sampling the data from the incoming stream, and to share an indication of the setting of the one or more parameters to an adjacent CDR circuit of the plurality of CDR circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Fmax Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Iain Ross Mactaggart, David Erich Tetzlaff
  • Patent number: 10057869
    Abstract: Disclosed is a network synchronization apparatus and method of a time division multiple access (TDMA)-based mesh network satellite communication system, the network synchronization method of a terminal in a satellite communication system including receiving timing error information from a central station, generating a mesh superframe start time (SST?) by reversing a sign of the timing error information, and receiving traffic information transmitted by a transmission terminal using the mesh SST?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Joon Gyu Ryu, Soo Yeob Jung, Deock Gil Oh, Jonggyu Oh
  • Patent number: 10050771
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a clock recovery circuit for a multi-lane communication system. Local clocks are recovered from the input signals using respective local CDR circuits, and associated CDR error signals are aggregated or otherwise combined. A global recovered clock for shared use by the local CDR circuits is generated at a controllable oscillation frequency as a function of a combination of the error signals from the plurality of receivers. A voltage- or current-controlled delay line can also be used to phase adjust the global recovered clock to mitigate band-limited, lane-correlated, high frequency jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Masum Hossain, Brian Leibowitz, Jihong Ren
  • Patent number: 10018674
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus which comprises: a state detector which is operable to detect logic states of zero and one in response to a clock edge; and an error detector coupled to the state detector, wherein the error detector is to detect an error in the detected logic states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vinayak Honkote, Sriram R. Vangal
  • Patent number: 9768947
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a clock recovery circuit for a multi-lane communication system. Local clocks are recovered from the input signals using respective local CDR circuits, and associated CDR error signals are aggregated or otherwise combined. A global recovered clock for shared use by the local CDR circuits is generated at a controllable oscillation frequency as a function of a combination of the error signals from the plurality of receivers. A voltage- or current-controlled delay line can also be used to phase adjust the global recovered clock to mitigate band-limited, lane-correlated, high frequency jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Masum Hossain, Brian Leibowitz, Jihong Ren
  • Patent number: 9769003
    Abstract: This application presents a direct data recovery from subspaces or parameters subranges of a received OFDM signal preidentified as corresponding to specific data symbols, by applying adaptive inverse signal transformation (AIST) method for reversing both original data coding and deterministic and random distortions introduced by a transmission channel, wherein both reversals are achieved by the same conversion of the subspaces or parameter subranges into data transmitted originally in order to eliminate an intermediate recovery of signals or parameters transmitted originally within the received OFDM signal. The AIST includes using both amplitudes and gradients of amplitudes of OFDM tone signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Inventor: John W Bogdan
  • Patent number: 9698969
    Abstract: A half-rate clock data recovery circuit includes: a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) for generating a data sampling clock and an edge sampling clock according to a control voltage; an adjusting circuit for dynamically controlling the VCO to adjust the phase difference between the data sampling clock and the edge sampling clock to be different from 90 degrees in multiple test periods; and a control circuit for instructing the adjusting circuit to respectively utilize different control value combinations to control the VCO in the multiple test periods, and for recording multiple recovered-signal quality indicators respectively corresponding to the multiple test periods. Afterwards, the control circuit instructs the adjusting circuit to utilize a control value combination corresponding to the best quality indicator among the multiple recovered-signal quality indicators to control the VCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventor: Jian Liu
  • Patent number: 9680481
    Abstract: A phase detection circuit includes: a first circuit configured to generate a first phase detection signal that indicates a result of sampling a first clock signal at a transition timing of an input data signal; a second circuit configured to generate a second phase detection signal that indicates a result of sampling a second clock signal at the transition timing of the input data signal, a phase of the second clock signal being different from a phase of the first clock signal; and a third circuit configured to generate a third phase detection signal that indicates a phase of the first clock signal with respect to the input data signal based on the first phase detection signal and the second phase detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yukito Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 9571144
    Abstract: Synchronized radio transceivers Disclosed are a method of and apparatus for controlling a first radio transceiver (18) and a second radio transceiver (20) which are connected to a common oscillator (16), wherein each transceiver (18, 20) is capable of communicating with one or more remote radio transceivers (12, 14). The method comprises: •the first transceiver (18) sending a synchronization signal to the second transceiver (20); and •the second transceiver (20) using the synchronization signal to en sure that neither transceiver (18, 20) transmits data while the other transceiver is in a receiving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: NORDIC SEMICONDUCTOR ASA
    Inventors: Kenneth Megard, Ole Saether, Ola Marvik, Frank Berntsen
  • Patent number: 9553684
    Abstract: A data frame generation circuit, includes: a frame generation unit configured to output a first data frame including client signals and a first signal count of the client signals included in the first data frame, the client signal being stored in the first data frame in accordance with a system clock; a storage unit configured to store a signal count range; a comparison unit configured to compare the first signal count to the signal count range; and a control unit configured to control a frequency of the system clock based on a comparison result, wherein, if the first signal count falls within the signal count range, the control unit changes the frequency of the system clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hironobu Hongou
  • Patent number: 9407474
    Abstract: A phase detecting device and a clock data recovery circuit are provided. The phase detecting device includes a decision feedback equalizer having first and second sample-hold sub-circuits, an edge detector having a third sample-hold sub-circuit, a first XOR gate, and a second XOR gate. The first sample-hold sub-circuit, the second sample-hold sub-circuit and the third sample-hold sub-circuit obtain first sample data, second sample data and transition data, respectively. The first XOR gate executes an XOR operation for the first sample data and the transition data to generate first clock phase shift information. The second XOR gate executes the XOR operation for the second sample data and the transition data to generate second clock phase shift information. Therefore, high-frequency noise disturbance generated from conventional clock data recovery circuit and decision feedback equalizer can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: National Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Wei-Zen Chen, Yu-Ping Huang, Yau-Chia Liu, Zheng-Hao Hong
  • Patent number: 9385859
    Abstract: A serial data link receiver and method are provided. In one implementation, the receiver includes a first equalizer for receiving a first received signal and outputting a first equalized signal, and a second equalizer for receiving a second received signal and outputting a second equalized signal. The receiver further includes an analog CDR (clock-data recovery) circuit for receiving the first equalized signal and outputting a first recovered bit stream and a first recovered clock generated in accordance with an analog control voltage, and a digital CDR circuit for receiving the second equalized signal and the first recovered clock and outputting a second recovered bit stream and a second recovered clock based on selecting a phase of the first recovered clock in accordance with a digital phase selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventors: Chi-Kung Kuan, Chia-Liang Lin
  • Patent number: 9379720
    Abstract: Clock data recovery can be accomplished using a phase path circuit that is configured to receive a data signal and a clock signal. A phase detection circuit detects phase differences between the data signal and a plurality of clock signals and generates a phase adjustment signal based upon a majority voting of the detected phase differences. Speculative calculation circuits generate speculative phase selection signals. Selection circuits select, in response to the phase adjustment signal, from speculative phase selection signals to provide outputs of the phase path circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: XILINX, INC.
    Inventors: Yu Xu, Santiago G. Asuncion, Tianqi Tang, Toan Pham, Kun-Yung Chang
  • Patent number: 9344269
    Abstract: A receiving circuit includes circuits arranged in parallel, each circuits including a voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) configured to generate a clock having an oscillation frequency according to an inductor and a capacitor, and a gain circuit. Each circuit is configured to sample a piece of input data with an output clock of the VCO and adjust the oscillation frequency of the VCO based on a phase difference and a frequency difference between the piece of input data and the output clock, thereby recovering data and a clock based on the piece of input data. The gain circuit is configured to adjust ratios of gains of up and down of the oscillation frequency of the VCO in a loop in each circuit arranged adjacent to each other, based on a phase difference between the pieces of input data and a phase difference between the output clocks of the respective circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Takayuki Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 9337848
    Abstract: A clock and data recovery device is provided which includes a phase detector, a charge pump unit, a loop filter unit, and a voltage controlled oscillator. The phase detector detects a phase of a data clock signal to output a comparison signal. The charge pump unit adjusts the amount of charges to be supplied according to the comparison signal. The loop filter unit accumulates the amount of charges to be supplied to output an adjustment signal. The voltage controlled oscillator generates an output clock signal variable according to the adjustment signal. The phase detector compares phases of the data clock signal and each of modulated clock signals sequentially received to output the comparison signal. The modulated clock signals are signals modulated from the output clock signal to have different phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Woo-Young Choi, Dae-hyun Kwon, Young-Seok Park
  • Patent number: 9264026
    Abstract: A phase interpolation clock generator includes: a phase detector configured to detect a phase difference between an input signal and a clock; a phase control signal generator configured to generate a phase control signal that is inverted for a certain phase difference and changes between a high level and a low level based on the phase difference; a controller configured to generate a combining control signal for combining a plurality of phase clocks and performing phase interpolation based on the phase control signal; an overshoot detector configured to detect overshoot in which the phase control signal rises above the high level; an overshoot canceller configured to lower the phase control signal which rises above the high level at an occurrence of the overshoot; and a phase interpolator configured to generate the clock by combining the plurality of phase clocks in accordance with the combining control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Shibasaki, Yukito Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 9225344
    Abstract: A method of aligning clock signals in multiple transceiver channels on an integrated circuit may include adjusting a slave clock signal at a slave transceiver channel based on a master clock signal received from a master transceiver channel. A clock generation circuit and/or a delay circuit in the slave transceiver channel may be used to adjust the slave clock signal to produce an intermediate slave clock signal. The master clock signal may be adjusted based on the intermediate slave clock signal received at the master transceiver channel to obtain a total adjustment value. The phase of the intermediate slave clock signal may further be adjusted at the slave transceiver channel based on the total adjustment made at the master transceiver channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Jakob Raymond Jones, David W. Mendel
  • Patent number: 9166843
    Abstract: A digital pulse width generator and a method for generating a digital pulse width are provided. The method for generating a digital pulse width includes the following. Generating a first period according to first set of bits of pulse data. The first period includes an interval. First phase signals are set to a first logic value in the interval and are generated according to first phase clock signals after an end of the interval. Second phase signals are set to the first logic value in the first period and are generated according to second phase clock signals after an end of the first period. Selecting a first signal from the first phase signals and the second phase signals according to second set of bits of the pulse data as a pulse width signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chao-Jen Huang, Ya-Ting Chang, Ke-Horng Chen
  • Patent number: 9093986
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed generally to switch mode power supplies operating in a master-slave configuration and provides a method of synchronizing the PWM outputs from the master and slave devices to avoid problems such, for example, as the generation of beat frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Powervation Limited
    Inventors: Eamon O'Malley, Paul Kelleher, Karl Rinne, Basil Almukhtar
  • Patent number: 9086437
    Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure include methods in which spurs generated by the drifting of an oscillation frequency of an oscillation signal provided by a free-running oscillator may be minimized and/or eliminated from an output signal of a phase locked loop (PLL). Methods include minimizing the mixing gain between the oscillation signal and a power signal provided to the PLL. The oscillation signal and the power signal may be mixed in a phase frequency detector (PFD) included in the PLL. The minimizing of the mixing gain for the PFD also minimizes the degrading effect that the spurs have on the overall performance of the communications device. The mixing gain may be minimized by minimizing the impedance provided at nodes included in the PFD where the oscillation signal and the power signal mix. The mixing gain may also be minimized by maximizing the power supply rejection ratio for the PFD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Nikolaos Haralabidis, Ioannis Kokolakis, Georgios Konstantopoulos
  • Patent number: 9058465
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a device that includes a finite state machine lattice. The lattice may include a counter suitable for counting a number of times a programmable element in the lattice detects a condition. The counter may be configured to output in response to counting the condition was detected a certain number of times. For example, the counter may be configured to output in response to determining a condition was detected at least (or no more than) the certain number of times, determining the condition was detected exactly the certain number of times, or determining the condition was detected within a certain range of times. The counter may be coupled to other counters in the device for determining high-count operations and/or certain quantifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Harold B Noyes, David R. Brown, Paul Glendenning
  • Patent number: 9036762
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to generating compatible clock signals. In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to receive an input clock signal and a reference clock signal. In this embodiment, the apparatus includes a rate estimation unit and a phase-locked loop (PLL) unit. In this embodiment, the PLL unit is configured to generate, using a control signal from the rate estimation unit and the input clock signal, a PLL output clock signal. In this embodiment, the rate estimation unit is configured to adjust the control signal such that the PLL output clock signal and the reference clock signal are compatible. In this embodiment, the rate estimation unit is configured to adjust the control signal based on the reference clock signal and a comparison clock signal generated by the apparatus based on the PLL output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Brian D. Green
  • Patent number: 9031181
    Abstract: A multi-port information communication system includes a reference clock signal generator configured to generate a reference clock signal. The system also includes a phase controller configured to generate a plurality of information communication clock signals based on the reference clock signal by staggering a phase of each of the information communication clock signals. The phase controller includes a delay-locked loop configured to generate a plurality of delay-locked loop signals based on the reference clock signal, and a plurality of time delay elements. Each time delay element is configured to produce a respective one of the information communication clock signals by adding a respective delay to a respective one of the delay-locked loop signals. The system includes information communication devices each including a respective transmitter. Each of the transmitters is configured to operate in response to a respective one of the information communication clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Pierte Roo
  • Patent number: 9025965
    Abstract: Disclosed are a phase locked loop (PLL) of a digital scheme and a method thereof. More specifically, disclosed are a digital phase locked loop having a time-to-digital converter (TDC), a digital loop filter (DLF), and a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), and that is designed to have a constant jitter characteristic at all times even though an operating condition of a circuit varies according to a process, voltage, temperature (PVT) change, and a method thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung Woo Lee, Kwang Chun Choi, Woo Young Choi, Bhum Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 9025650
    Abstract: A signal receiver is configured to receive multiple time-domain input signals. A plurality of the input signals among the multiple time-domain input signals is selected and transformed into frequency-domain signals. The frequency-domain signals are shifted in phase by a negative value of a respective reference phase, and the phase-shifted signals are combined into one signal. The combined signal is then multiplied with a stored signal to generate a signal product and transformed into a time-domain signal. Peak detection is performed on the time-domain signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Neocific, Inc.
    Inventors: Titus Lo, Xiaodong Li
  • Patent number: 9020088
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a digital system and method of measuring (estimating) non-energy parameters of the signal (phase, frequency and frequency rate) received in additive mixture with Gaussian noise. The first embodiment of the measuring system consists of a PLL system tracking variable signal frequency, a block of NCO full phase computation (OFPC), a block of signal phase primary estimation (SPPE) and a first type adaptive filter filtering the signal from the output of SPPE. The second embodiment of the invention has no block SPPE, and NCO full phase is fed to the input of a second type adaptive filter. The present invention can be used in receivers of various navigation systems, such as GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO, which provide precise measurements of signal phase at different rates of frequency change, as well as systems using digital PLLs for speed measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark I. Zhodzishsky, Victor A. Prasolov, Alexey S. Lebedinsky, Daniel S. Milyutin
  • Publication number: 20150103872
    Abstract: A method of compensating carrier tone generation between duty cycles includes receiving a carrier frequency signal and a reference frequency signal, where the carrier frequency signal is mixed with a communication signal in a signal path. The method includes determining a first and second time differences between the carrier frequency signal and the reference frequency signal at respective clock edges of the reference frequency signal. The method includes converting the first time difference to a first corresponding phase value and the second time difference to a second corresponding phase value based on an operating frequency, and determining a phase difference between the first corresponding phase value and the second corresponding phase value. In turn, the method includes adjusting the communication signal with the phase difference independent of the signal path to maintain phase continuity in the signal path between the duty cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alireza TARIGHAT MEHRABANI
  • Patent number: 9008196
    Abstract: A computer system includes a processor, and the processor includes at least one interface for communicating with an electronic component. Each of the at least one interface has a set of interface settings. The computer system further includes a memory containing machine executable instructions. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: monitor communications traffic on the at least one interface; store, eye distribution data acquired during the monitoring of the communications traffic in a database; compare the eye distribution data to a set of predetermined criteria; and generate a set of updated interface settings if the eye distribution does not satisfy the set of predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Angelotti, Michael D. Campbell, Kenneth L. Christian, Martin Eckert, Hubert Harrer, Rohan Jones, Neil A. Malek, Gary A. Peterson, Andrew A. Turner, Dermot Weldon
  • Patent number: 9001869
    Abstract: A device for high-speed clock generation may include an injection locking-ring oscillator (ILRO) configured to receive one or more input clock signals and to generate multiple clock signals with different equally spaced phase angles. A phase-interpolator (PI) circuit may be configured to receive the multiple coarse spaced clock signals and to generate an output clock signal having a correct phase angle. The PI circuit may include a smoothing block that may be configured to smooth the multiple clock signals with different phase angles and to generate multiple smooth clock signals. A pulling block may be configured to pull edges of the multiple smooth clock signals closer to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mahmoud Reza Ahmadi, Siavash Fallahi, Tamer Ali, Ali Nazemi, Hassan Maarefi, Burak Catli, Afshin Momtaz
  • Patent number: 9001275
    Abstract: HDMI is a digital audio and video communications protocol commonly used in consumer electronics. HDMI is particularly synonymous with high fidelity audio and video. Even though HDMI is a digital communications protocol, the audio quality can be impaired by analog signal impairments and distortions even if there are no digital decoding errors. In particular, the very process by which the audio is converted from Digital (HDMI) to human audible “Analog Audio” can be prone to errors. This occurs when the Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) clock, which is derived from the HDMI TMDS clock or HDMI source, is “distorted” due to its jitter, resulting in erroneous sampling or outputting of vital audio samples, thereby reducing the audio quality of the experience. The present invention reduces the jitter on the TMDS clock, and hence the audio DAC clock, resulting in lower audio distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventors: Andrew Joo Kim, David Anthony Stelliga
  • Patent number: 8994425
    Abstract: A circuit includes first and second aligner circuits and a deskew circuit. The first aligner circuit is operable to align a first input serial data signal with a control signal to generate a first aligned serial data signal. The second aligner circuit is operable to align a second input serial data signal with the control signal to generate a second aligned serial data signal. The deskew circuit is operable to reduce skew between the first and the second aligned serial data signals to generate first and second output serial data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Ramanand Venkata, Henry Lui, Arch Zaliznyak
  • Patent number: 8995598
    Abstract: A clock recovery circuit includes a first phase detector for measuring the phase difference between a first clock signal from a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a data signal. A phase shifter responsive to a control signal based on this phase difference adjusts the phase of an incoming clock signal to yield a second clock signal. The phase difference between the first clock signal and the second clock signal is measured and the resulting signal is low-pass filtered to derive a control signal for controlling the VCO. The phase locked loop including the VCO filters out jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Carl William Werner
  • Patent number: 8989329
    Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes eye width measurement and margining in communication systems. An apparatus may be configured to: decouple a phase detector from a CDR loop filter of a receiver under test in response to synchronizing a margining clock signal to a receiver clock signal; apply a margining input to the loop filter, the margining input configured to shift a frequency of the margining clock signal by a constant amount related to the margining input; compare a first bit stream and a second bit stream and configured to detect an error, the first bit stream related to a transmitted bit stream; and count cycles of the receiver clock signal or the margining clock signal, wherein an eye width associated with the receiver under test is related to the margining input, the frequency of the receiver clock signal and a count of clock cycles when the error is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Dima Hammad, Vadim Levin, Amir Laufer, Ron Bar-Lev, Noam Familia, Itamar Levin
  • Patent number: 8982974
    Abstract: Receiver synchronization techniques (RST), contributing more accurate synchronization of receiver clock to OFDM composite frame combined with much faster acquisition time and better stability of the receiver clock, and phase and frequency recovery techniques, comprising a software controlled clock synthesizer (SCCS) for high accuracy phase & frequency synthesis producing synchronized low jitter clock from external time referencing signals or time referencing messages wherein SCCS includes a hybrid PLL (HPLL) enabling 1-50,000 frequency multiplication with very low output jitter independent of reference clock quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Inventor: John W Bogdan
  • Publication number: 20150055552
    Abstract: A method and system is includes configurable carrier phase noise shaping. A fractional phase locked loop (PLL) uses a bank of delta-sigma modulators (DSM) to generate fractional ratios of the reference signal frequency. The bank of delta-sigma modulators provides for dynamic adjustments in the fractional PLL based phase noise performance of the communications network. The bank of DSMs is designed such that they have different and conflicting phase noise profiles. The communication network parameters are monitored and utilized for selecting a specific DSM from the bank of DSMs which most closely resembles a desired communications network phase noise profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Alireza Tarighat Mehrabani, Behzad Nourani