Abstract: The present invention related to an apparatus and a method for increasing a voltage level of duty correction voltages to a predetermined level during a predetermined time in a delay locked loop. An apparatus, included in a delay locked loop, includes a control block for generating a control signal keeping a first logic state during the predetermined time in response to a reset signal resetting the delay locked loop; and a voltage supplier for supplying the duty correction voltage with a supply voltage during the predetermined time in the control signal, wherein the duty correction voltage is for correcting a duty cycle of a clock signal used in the delay locked loop.

Abstract: The invention provides a low divide ratio programmable frequency divider of a fractional-N type applied to a digital MOPLL tuner and a method thereof. In the invention, a divide ratio assigner assigns divide data as a main divide ratio and a pulse swallow value according to a first or a second dividing operation mode in response to a mode selection signal. A prescaler operates on the first or second divide operation mode in response to the mode selection signal. Also, a main counter divides a frequency from the prescaler by the main divide ratio. Further, a pulse swallow counter counts a clock of the main counter while outputting a pulse swallow signal to the prescaler. The pulse swallow signal has a swallow level if a counting value corresponds to the pulse swallow value, and a non-swallow level if the counting value does not correspond to the pulse swallow value.

Abstract: Enclosed is a duty cycle correction device for correcting a duty cycle of a clock signal output from a delay locked loop circuit. The duty cycle correction device includes a mixer for mixing phases of the first and second clock signals, thereby outputting a first signal, a phase splitter receiving the first signal and outputting a third clock signal, a duty detection unit receiving the third and fourth clock signals to detect a difference between duty cycles of the third and fourth clock signals, a combination unit for outputting a second signal, a shift register for outputting a first control signal, a phase detection unit receiving the first and second clock signals and outputting a second control signal representing a difference between duty cycles of the first and second clock signals. The mixer adjusts a mixing ratio by using the first and second control signals.

Abstract: To provide a broadband circuit from which a desired circuit characteristic is stably obtained over a wide frequency band with a small number of circuit devices and which can be easily designed. In the case of the broadband circuit to which a circuit device is connected through a transmission line including a signal transmission conductor, grounding conductor, and dielectric present between these conductors, an LILC 13 having a four-terminal line structure in which a pair of conductors are faced each other, having an impedance lower than that of a conductor connected to any terminal, and using a frequency band of an electromagnetic wave whose wavelength is shorter than a length approximately four times of the length of the circut device as an object frequency band is inserted into the transmission line and used as a low impedance device to the electromagnetic wave of the object frequency band.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit with a regulated charge current where the amount of current flowing into the flying capacitor depends on the magnitude of the output voltage error, using an OTA to convert the output voltage error into a current. Thus the flying capacitor is not charged when the output load is very low or when the output voltage error is minimal. Voltage overshoots are reduced by a stop circuit which forces pulse skipping and which inhibits the charging of the flying capacitor. Current limiting devices further limit the charge current into the flying capacitor. Full short-circuit protection is provided in one preferred embodiment by current limiting the driver stage of the charge pump circuit. Except for pulse skipping, the charge pump runs at a constant frequency supplied by a clock.

Abstract: A clock generation circuit and a clock generation method are provided, which are spread spectrum clock generation and accurate phase control of a reference clock signal and an output clock signal. An input divider unit 70 divides an input clock signal CLKR by 50 to output a divided input clock signal CLKS. A DLL circuit 80 operates to obtain delay control signals DCS1, DCS2. A modulation circuit 40 modulates, in response to the delay control signals DCS1, DCS2 and a modulation signal MOD output from a modulation control circuit 50, the divided input clock signal CLKS to output a modulation clock signal CLKN. A phase comparator 11 detects the phase difference between the modulation clock signal CLKN and a divided inner clock signal CLKM. A clock generation unit 20 generates an output clock signal CLKO having frequency corresponding to a phase difference signal from the phase comparator 11.

Abstract: A phase-lock loop generates an output clock signal from an input clock signal. The output clock signal is coupled through a clock tree and is fed back to a phase detector, which compares the phase of the output clock signal to the phase of the input clock signal. The output clock signal is generated by a voltage controlled oscillator having a control input coupled to receive an output from the phase detector, and a frequency multiplier coupled to the output of the voltage controlled oscillator. As a result, the CLKOUT signal generated by the frequency multiplier has a relatively high frequency while the voltage controlled oscillator, by operating at a relatively low frequency, uses relatively little power.

Abstract: There is provided a power up circuit capable of outputting a power up signal delayed by a predetermined time. The power up circuit includes a voltage divider for dividing an external voltage, a delay controller for generating a control signal to control an output voltage of the voltage divider for a predetermined time by using the external voltage, and a signal generator for generating a power up signal delayed by a predetermined time by using the control signal.

Abstract: A programmable logic device includes configurable phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry that outputs multiple clock signals having programmable phases and frequencies. Each output signal is programmably selectable for use as an external clock, internal global clock, internal local clock, or combinations thereof. The PLL circuitry has programmable frequency dividing, including programmable cascaded frequency dividing, and programmable output signal multiplexing that provide a high degree of clock design flexibility.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating phase related clocks, includes delaying a clock input by a cycle delay magnitude to generate a cycle delay signal and N delay taps is disclosed. Each delay tap has a delay equal to a fractional amount of the cycle delay magnitude. The method further includes delaying the clock input by an alignment magnitude to generate a first aligned phase signal and delaying each of the N delay taps by fractional amounts of the alignment magnitude to generate N phase aligned signals. A feedback loop is closed by a phase comparison between the first aligned phase signal and the cycle delay signal. The phase comparison result is used to adjust the cycle delay magnitude, which adjusts delays of the cycle delay signal and the N delay taps, and adjust the alignment magnitude, which adjusts delays of the first aligned phase signal and the N phase aligned signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are improved, simplified designs for a hierarchical delay line (HDL). The HDL is useful in providing precise phase control between an input clock signal and an output clock signal, and has particular utility as the variable delay in a delay-locked loop (DLL). In one embodiment, a coarse unit delay provides a delayed representation of an input clock. The original and delayed versions of the input clock are presented to a phase mixer block, which is controllable to weight its output to a phase between one of the two input clock signals. The output of the phase mixer block is then provided to a controllable variable delay line capable of adding further coarse delay into the processed signal. To assist in boundary switching, multiplexers are provided in the path between the original and delayed versions of the input clock and the phase mixer block, which provides the ability to boundary shift without having to reset the phase mixer.

Abstract: There is provided a reduced current input buffer circuit. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided an input buffer circuit comprising an input buffer that is adapted to draw an operating current, means for providing a first portion of the operating current to the input buffer, and means for providing a second portion of the operating current to the input buffer if the input buffer is expecting data.

Abstract: An integrated circuit for programming an electrical fuse includes a first programming device coupled to the electrical fuse for selectively providing the same with a first programming current, and a second programming device coupled to the electrical fuse for selectively providing the same with a second programming current. A detection module is coupled to the electrical fuse for generating an output indicating a resistance level of the electrical fuse, wherein the resistance level has three or more predetermined states, which are provided by selectively programming the electrical fuse with the first or second programming current.

Abstract: A charge pump and loop filter circuit of a phase locked loop includes a resistor, first and second capacitors, first and second input current sources for supplying first and second currents to the circuit, a first output current source for outputting the first current from the circuit, and a second output current source for receiving the second current from the circuit. The charge pump also contains a plurality of up pulse switches and down pulse switches for controlling current flow through the circuit such that only a fraction of the current that flows through the resistor flows into and out of the first capacitor for charging and discharging the first capacitor. The size of the first capacitor can be reduced accordingly based on the amount of current used to charge and discharge the first capacitor.

Abstract: A delay-locked loop (DLL) has a counter that is incremented or decremented by the loop in the process of achieving lock. The counter value is converted using an digital to analog converter (DAC) to an analog voltage that controls the delay through the delay line. During faster lock modes, the loop increments/decrements intermediate bits of the counter (with the bits less significant being held at a constant value, e.g., 0) to provide a coarse lock, rather than incrementing/decrementing the least significant bit of the counter. After coarse lock is achieved, a better lock is then achieved by incrementing/decrementing the counter using a smaller increment, i.e., a less significant bit is updated, until finally, the LSB is utilized to achieve fine lock. Utilizing the coarse lock first, and then one or more finer locks, allows the lock to be achieved more quickly.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus for flexibly and effectively configuring a delay monitor circuit without an increase in circuit scale includes a delay signal generation circuit for switching the configuration of delay element arrays based on first configuration information and second configuration information and propagating a delay element array wherein a pulse is switched, a register group having a first register for the first configuration information and a second register for second configuration information, a selector for outputting to the delay signal generation circuit the first configuration information and second configuration information in accordance with an instruction of a selection signal in a time sharing way, and a control circuit for controlling a power source voltage based on delay information of a delay element array and outputting to the selector a selection signal to select from the first configuration information and second configuration information in a time sharing way.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit that comprises first and second transmission systems, each comprising a plurality of transistors; and an output select unit. Transistors constituting said first transmission system comprise transistors having relatively high threshold values and being turned off and transistors having relatively low threshold values and being turned on, when the input signal supplied to said first transmission system takes a first value; and transistors constituting said second transmission system, comprise transistors having relatively high threshold values and being turned off and transistors have relatively low threshold values and being turned on, when an input signal supplied to said second transmission system assumes a second value.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a clock switching circuit, which comprises: a clock generator, receiving two different clock signals; a logic gate, coupled to an enable-signal generator and an output-clock generator, wherein during clock switching, the logic gate turns off output clock according to the signal edges of those two clock signals to avoid the problems of clock glitch and timing insufficiency, and the logic gate will not restore clock output until an appropriate timing occurs.

Abstract: Delay circuits are used in a manner similar to a synchronized mirror delay circuit to generate a quadrature clock signal from an input clock signal. The input clock signal is coupled through a series of first delay circuit for one-half the period of the input clock signal. A second series of feedback delay circuits mirror respective first delay circuits. After the input signal has been coupled through the first delay circuits, the mirrored signals from the first delay circuits are coupled through the feedback delay circuits. The delay of the feedback delay circuits is one-half the delay of the first delay circuits to provide a signal that is the quadrature of the clock signal.

Abstract: A voltage (UE1, UE2), other than a supply voltage (UV1, UV2), is monitored and controlled to avoid damage to circuit components by maintaining a required voltage level. Dissipation power losses are reduced by switching off a monitoring circuit when monitoring is not required. For this purpose a stepped down voltage is derived from the voltage to be monitored at a tap (N1) of a voltage divider connected between ground potential and the voltage to be monitored. The derived voltage is then evaluated, for example by comparing with a reference voltage. A controllable switch is connected in series with two voltage divider elements. The switch is controlled to open for switching off the voltage divider when monitoring is not needed. The switch is closed to activate the voltage divider when monitoring is needed.