With Digital Element Patents (Class 327/150)
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Patent number: 8779812Abstract: Clock circuits are presented for providing a clock signal using multiple reference clock signals, including a PLL operating from a PLL reference clock signal, an FLL operating from an FLL reference clock signal, and a multiplexer circuit that selectively provides up and down signals from either a PFD of the PLL or the FLL to a charge pump of the PLL according to a reference clock select signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2013Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Peter Michael Kavanagh, Andrew Khar Boon Ong
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Patent number: 8760201Abstract: Systems and methods for capacitance multiplication using one charge pump for a phase lock loop employ a digital controlled loop filter that operates in a time division mode. Embodiments of the loop filter block the current from the charge pump according to the digital control, such that the charge pump cannot charge or discharge the integral capacitor when the digital control is enabled. Because at least a portion of the current is blocked, it takes more time for the charge pump to charge or discharge the capacitor to a certain level. The capacitor then appears to be larger than its actual value with respect to operation of the phase lock loop.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Analog Devices TechnologyInventors: Ting Gao, Jiefeng Yan
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Patent number: 8736325Abstract: A system for wide frequency range clock generation, includes: a phase lock loop (PLL) to generate a signal having a frequency; at least one fractional-N divider to divide the frequency of the signal; and a multiplexer to receive the signal from the PLL and an output signal from the at least one fractional-N divider, and to select the signal from the PLL or the output signal from the at least one fractional-N divider as a selected signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.Inventors: Jafar Savoj, Kun-Yung Chang
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Patent number: 8710884Abstract: Methods and devices provide for determining whether to operate a radio frequency synthesizer in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation based on a reference frequency signal. The radio frequency synthesizer includes a digitally-controlled oscillator configured to generate an oscillator signal having an output frequency. A digital frequency locked-loop is configured to control the output frequency of the oscillator signal in a first mode of operation based on a first control signal. A digital phase locked-loop is configured to control the output frequency of the oscillator signal in a second mode of operation based on a second control signal. A controller determines whether to operate in the first mode or second mode based on a reference frequency signal. The controller generates the first or second control signal based on the determination of operating in the first or second mode, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.Inventors: Olivier Burg, Cao-Thong Tu
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Patent number: 8711018Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a de-serializer to receive serial data at a first rate and to output a parallel data frame corresponding to the serial data aligned to a frame alignment boundary in response to a phase control signal received from a feedback loop coupled between the de-serializer and a receiver logic coupled to an output of the de-serializer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2013Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Ehud Shoor, Dror Lazar, Assaf Benhamou
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Patent number: 8704571Abstract: Methods and systems for synchronizing an electric grid having unbalanced voltages are provided. A voltage vector may be filtered in a quadrature tracking filter (QTF) to generate a quadrature signal. A phase-locked-loop (PLL) operation may be performed on the quadrature signal to monitor a voltage vector between the grid and a connected power converter. The QTF and PLL methods are suitable for either single-phase applications or n-phase (any number of phases) applications. A frequency estimator estimates the grid frequency of the electric grid and outputs the estimated frequency to the QTF algorithms. The frequency estimator may include a three-phase phase-locked-loop (three-phase PLL) suitable for estimating the center frequencies of multiple phases of the electric grid. The frequency estimator may also include means for reducing the harmonics in the grid system.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Russel J. Kerkman, Ahmed Mohamed Sayed Ahmed, Brian J. Seibel, Carlos Rodriguez Valdez
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Patent number: 8686771Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to digital phase-locked loops (DPLLs) and hybrid phase-locked loops (HPLL) for establishing and maintaining a phase relationship between a generated output signal and a reference input signal. The DPLLs use a counter based loop to initially bring the DPLL into lock. Thereafter, the DPLLs disable the counter based loop and switch to a loop with a multi-modulus divider (MMD). The DPLLs can implement a cancellation technique to reduce phase noise introduced by the MMD. The HPLLs further include a loop with a MMD. The HPLLs can implement a similar cancellation technique to reduce phase noise introduced by the MMD.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Emmanouil Frantzeskakis, Ioannis L. Syllaios, Georgios Sfikas, Henrik Jensen, Stephen Wu, Padmanava Sen
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Patent number: 8675800Abstract: Disclosed herein is a synchronizing circuit including: a first PLL circuit; a second PLL circuit; a first output circuit; a second output circuit; a first detection circuit; a second detection circuit; a control circuit; and a holding section.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tetsuhiro Futami, Ikko Okamoto
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Patent number: 8653869Abstract: A Fractional-N PLL includes a phase frequency detector module receiving a first clock and a second clock that is associated with a feedback path arrangement. A coarse phase adjustment module receives a coarse phase component and an output signal associated with a divider module used in the feedback path arrangement and performs a coarse phase adjustment. A fine phase adjustment module performs fine phase adjustment using a fine phase component and the coarse phase adjustment as input to produce the second clock. The fine phase adjustment module nominally cancels most or all of the quantization noise present during the coarse phase adjustment, thereby greatly reducing the net phase noise of the divider module. A segmentation module receives a control signal and generates the coarse phase component and the fine phase component that are provided to the fine phase adjustment module and the coarse phase adjustment module for processing.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Media Tek Singapore Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Tsung-Kai Kao, Che-Fu Liang, Michael A. Ashburn, Jr.
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Patent number: 8648626Abstract: A clock generator and generating method, and a mobile communication device using the clock generator. A clock generator comprises a first accumulator, an oscillating signal generating circuit and a frequency adjustment circuit. The oscillating signal generating circuit generates a first oscillating signal and adjusts a frequency of the first oscillating signal according to a first overflow output signal of the first accumulator. The frequency adjustment circuit generates a frequency control value according to the first oscillating signal and a reference oscillating signal. The first accumulator accumulates the frequency control value according to the first oscillating signal to generate the first overflow output signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2010Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Via Telecom Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yu-Hong Lin
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Patent number: 8644441Abstract: Clock generators are provided. A phase locked loop generates an output clock, a delay line is coupled to an input of the phase locked loop, and a modulation unit integrates an input signal with a constant level to generate a modulation signal controlling the delay line, thereby modulating a phase of a first input clock of the phase locked loop, such that frequency of the output clock is locked at a desired frequency.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Mediatek Inc.Inventors: Bo-Jiun Chen, Shang-Ping Chen, Ping-Ying Wang
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Patent number: 8599984Abstract: A delay locked loop operates over a wide range of frequencies and has high accuracy, small silicon area usage, low power consumption and a short lock time. The DLL combines an analog domain and a digital domain. The digital domain is responsible for initial lock and operational point stability and is frozen after the lock is reached. The analog domain is responsible for normal operation after lock is reached and provides high accuracy using smaller silicon area and low power.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: MOSAID Technologies IncorporatedInventors: Peter Vlasenko, Dieter Haerle
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Patent number: 8553827Abstract: A Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) includes a Phase-to-Digital Converter (PDC), a programmable digital loop filter, a Digitally-Controlled Oscillator (DCO), and a loop divider. Within the PDC, phase information is converted into a stream of digital values by a charge pump and an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). The stream of digital values is supplied to the digital loop filter which in turn supplies digital tuning words to the DCO. A number of types of ADCs can be used for the ADC including a continuous-time delta-sigma oversampling Digital ADC and a Successive Approximation ADC. The voltage signal on the charge pump output is a small amplitude midrange voltage signal. The small voltage amplitude of the signal leads to numerous advantages including improved charge pump linearity, reduced charge pump noise, and lower supply voltage operation of the overall PLL.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2009Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Qualcomm IncorporatedInventor: Gang Zhang
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Patent number: 8536916Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a thermometer sigma delta encoded frequency control word for controlling a digitally controlled oscillator in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, an all digital phase locked loop for generating an output clock signal includes a thermometer pulse coder configured to generate a frequency control word (FCW) that includes thermometer coded signals and a pulse modulated dither signal, and transmit the pulse modulated dither signal over a selected FCW signal line and transmit the thermometer coded signals over other FCW signal lines, and a digitally controlled oscillator to receive a FCW comprising a combined thermometer and pulse modulated signal and generate an output clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Josephus A. van Engelen, Hairong Yu, Howard A. Baumer
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Patent number: 8531222Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) circuit is provided with selectable feedback paths. In one example, a method of operating a device includes passing a clock signal provided by a PLL circuit of the device through an internal feedback path of the PLL circuit to provide a first input signal to the PLL circuit while at least one external circuit of an external feedback path of the device is disabled during a low power operation mode of the device. The method also includes detecting a lock between the first input signal and a reference signal during the low power operation mode. The lock indicates that the clock signal is operating at a frequency used during a normal operation mode of the device. The method also includes passing the clock signal through the external feedback path to provide a second input signal to the PLL circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2011Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Barry Britton, Richard Booth, Phillip L. Johnson, Yang Xu, Tawei David Li
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Patent number: 8513995Abstract: System and method providing multiple circuit paths to control characteristics of periodic signals. In one embodiment first and second detector signals are indicative of a phase and frequency differences between the output signal and a reference signal. A first input signal based on the first detector signal adjusts the phase difference. A first control signal based on the second detector signal has frequency content in high and low frequency ranges. A second input signal based on the control signal reduces the frequency difference. A second control signal based on the second detector signal has relatively low frequency content in the high frequency range. A third input signal based on the second control signal reduces the frequency difference.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Robert Wang, Antonios Pialis, Rajeevan Mahadevan, Navid Yaghini, Rafal Karakiewicz, Raymond Kwok Kei Tang, Sida Shen, Mark Andruchow, Zhuobin Li, Nicola Pantaleo
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Patent number: 8508270Abstract: Circuits and methods for controlling a VCO output signal. A filtered version of an integral path input signal controls current flow through a proportional path. An exemplary embodiment generates an integral path input signal from a digital to analog converter. First integral path circuitry includes a first transistor device and a low pass filter which provides a filtered version of the integral path input signal to a first transistor device to control conduction through the device, providing a first VCO input signal for frequency adjustment of the output signal. Proportional path switching circuitry between a supply terminal and VCO input terminal includes a second transistor device which receives the first VCO input signals to control conduction between the supply terminal and the first VCO input terminal to provide a second signal for adjustment of the phase of the VCO output signal relative to the reference signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Navid Yaghini, Robert Wang, Antonios Pialis, Rajeevan Mahadevan, Rafal Karakiewicz, Raymond Kwok Kei Tang, Sida Shen
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Publication number: 20130200931Abstract: A circuit device includes a clock generator outputting a clock signal having a first frequency; plural phase controllers inputting the clock signal having the first frequency, and outputting clock signals having the first frequency and having phases advanced or delayed with respect to a phase of the clock signal; a selector inputting the plural clock signals having the first frequency output from the plural phase controllers, sequentially selecting pulses of the plural clock signals, and outputting a clock signal having a second frequency; a pattern generator generating a test pattern based on the clock signal having the second frequency; and a circuit inputting the clock signal having the second frequency and the test pattern generated by the pattern generator, operate based on the clock signal having the second frequency, and outputting operation results.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: August 8, 2013Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventor: FUJITSU LIMITED
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Patent number: 8502581Abstract: A reconstruction circuit for the pixel clock in digital display units receiving analog display data uses a multi-phase reference clock and an all digital PLL for clock generation and synchronization to an external sync signal. A phase/frequency detector in the digital PLL uses a multi-phase reference clock to achieve a high resolution of the phase error. The digital PLL control algorithm can be implemented with a single loop and can achieved arbitrary large, externally controlled, phase difference between the generated pixel clock and the input sync signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2010Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Inventor: Ion E. Opris
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Patent number: 8493112Abstract: A signal processing apparatus of the present invention includes an input unit configured to receive a reference signal supplied from an external device, a phase detection unit configured to detect a phase difference between the reference signal received from the input unit and a clock signal, a generation unit configured to generate the clock signal with a frequency corresponding to an output of the phase detection unit, and a control unit configured to detect an error between a frequency of the reference signal received from the input unit and the frequency of the clock signal based on an output of the phase detection unit and to output information, which indicates the status of a frequency change in the reference signal, to a display device based on the detected error.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2011Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasuyuki Tanaka
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Publication number: 20130181754Abstract: In a method for recovery of a dock from a received digital data stream and an apparatus for recovering a clock from a received digital data stream, phase-shifted dock signals are generated from a receiver's dock. After selecting one of the phase-shifted clock signals, two other phase-shifted clock signals are determined. Depending on sample values taken at rising/falling edges of the three selected phase-shifted clock signals, counter values are increased and compared. The selection of phase-shifted clock signals and the steps of sampling the input digital data stream, comparing the values and increasing counter values, if required, are repeatedly performed until the comparison result of the counter values indicates that one of the latter determined phase-shifted clock signals strobes the received digital data stream in the centre of a bit period.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2013Publication date: July 18, 2013Applicant: STMicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.Inventor: STMicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
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Patent number: 8487707Abstract: The present invention discloses a frequency synthesizer which includes: a PLL including an oscillator for generating an oscillator signal and a first frequency divider for dividing a frequency of the oscillator signal to generate a first frequency-divided signal; a switching unit for switching the PLL to either an open loop status or a closed loop status; a second frequency divider, for dividing a frequency of a reference clock to generate a second frequency-divided signal; a counter, for counting according to the first frequency-divided signal and the second frequency-divided signal to generate a counter value when the PLL is in the open loop status; a comparator, for comparing the counter value with a predetermined value to generate a comparing result; and a determining unit, for adjusting an oscillator frequency of the oscillator according to the comparing result.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.Inventor: Fucheng Wang
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Patent number: 8461884Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, one of multiple clock signals of different relative phases is selected based on a desired delay magnitude, and the digital values received on an input signal are then synchronized to an edge (“first edge”) of the selected clock signal to provide the digital values with the desired delay magnitude. In an embodiment, the selected clock signal can be delayed by a fine value (less than the minimum phase difference of the multiple clock signals) to provide a wide span of desired delays. An aspect of the invention provides for a synchronization circuit with reduced latency and which is substantially invariant to process, voltage and temperature (PVT) changes.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2008Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Nvidia CorporationInventors: Jyotirmaya Swain, Utpal Barman, Adarsh Kalliat, Raji Cherian, Edward L Riegelsberger
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Patent number: 8457269Abstract: A clock and data recovery (CDR) architecture which includes a frequency detector, a phase detector, a phase charge pump circuit, a frequency charge pump circuit and a voltage controlled oscillator is provided. The phase detector is configured to only include four AND gates to receive and evaluate the intermediate signals, generated by the frequency detector, and accordingly generate a phase control signal. The voltage controlled oscillator is configured to output a plurality of clock signals with different phases according to the current signals outputted from the phase and frequency charge pump circuits, and select at least one of the plurality of clock signals with different phases for sampling a data signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2011Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignees: NCKU Research and Development Foundation, Himax Technologies LimitedInventors: Soon-Jyh Chang, Yen Long Lee, Chung-Ming Huang
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Publication number: 20130113534Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit which has a high degree of jitter tolerance and can alleviate increase in the phase number of a multi-phase clock, power consumption, and a semiconductor chip area is provided. Each circuit of plural edge detection circuits comprises a first edge detection circuit and a second edge detection circuit. The first detection circuit detects that a data edge leads in phase more than ?1 phase from an edge detection phase, the second detection circuit detects that the data edge laggs in phase more than +1 phase from the edge detection phase. In response to the first output signal or the second output signal, the edge detection phase is changed by the amount of ?1 phase or +1 phase. When the data edge is detected in the range of ±1 phase, a next edge detection phase is maintained in the current state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2012Publication date: May 9, 2013Applicant: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
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Patent number: 8433022Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit includes a receiving circuit that takes in input data based on a sampling clock, a demultiplexer that converts serial data output from the receiving circuit into parallel data, a clock/data recovery part that detects phase information from the parallel data output from the demultiplexer and generates the sampling clock by adjusting the phase of a reference clock based on the phase information, a data pattern analyzer that carries out frequency analysis of the parallel data output from the demultiplexer, and an aliasing detector that detects a clock recovery state based on the analysis result of the frequency of the parallel data.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2011Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor LimitedInventor: Mitsuru Onodera
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Patent number: 8411812Abstract: A delay locked loop operates over a wide range of frequencies and has high accuracy, small silicon area usage, low power consumption and a short lock time. The DLL combines an analog domain and a digital domain. The digital domain is responsible for initial lock and operational point stability and is frozen after the lock is reached. The analog domain is responsible for normal operation after lock is reached and provides high accuracy using smaller silicon area and low power.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2012Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Mosaid Technologies IncorporatedInventors: Peter Vlasenko, Dieter Haerle
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Patent number: 8405533Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a de-serializer to receive serial data at a first rate and to output a parallel data frame corresponding to the serial data aligned to a frame alignment boundary in response to a phase control signal received from a feedback loop coupled between the de-serializer and a receiver logic coupled to an output of the de-serializer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Ehud Shoor, Dror Lazar, Assaf Benhamou
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Patent number: 8395453Abstract: Phase error of a time-to-digital converter (TDC) within an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) is compensated by predicting possible phase error, which are predicted according to an estimated quantization error, a period of a digital-controlled oscillator (DCO), a gain of the TDC or a combination thereof. By appropriate inductions, the possible phase error may be further indicated by the quantization error, a code variance corresponding to a half of a reference period received by a TDC module having the TDC, a dividing ratio of a frequency divider of the ADPLL, a fractional number related to the quantization error or a combination thereof. A digital phase error cancellation module is also used for generating the possible phase error for compensating the phase error of the TDC.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2008Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Mediatek Inc.Inventors: Hsiang-Hui Chang, Bing-Yu Hsieh, Jing-Hong Conan Zhan
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Patent number: 8395430Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a digital phase locking loop and a method. The digital phase locking loop includes a trigger and a delay line. The trigger receives a delayed clock signal output by the delay line, and receives a signal of a selection end of a first delay element in the delay line; the selection end is in a gating state before triggering of the trigger. The trigger samples the signal of the selection end of the first delay element, and outputs the sampled signal to a selection end of a second delay element in the delay line; the selection end of the second delay element is in the gating state after triggering of the trigger. The signal of the selection end of the first delay element is sampled by the trigger, and the sampled result is used as the signal of the selection end of the second delay element, thus reducing glitches caused by transition.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chen Wan
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Publication number: 20130043917Abstract: A system and method for efficiently managing multiple PLLs on a system on a chip (SOC). A SOC includes a hardware phase lock loop (PLL) switching control block coupled to a software interface. The hardware PLL switching (HPS) control block receives PLL switch requests from software. The request identifies a given core clock received by a given processing core of multiple processor cores on the SOC and indicates the identified core clock is not to be provided anymore by a current PLL. The request indicates a given search method including search conditions. The HPS control block searches for a target PLL that satisfies these search conditions. In response to finding the target PLL, the HPS control block changes clock network connections and parameters across the die of the SOC. These changes across the die disconnect the identified core clock from the current PLL and connects the identified core clock to the target PLL.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2011Publication date: February 21, 2013Inventors: Josh P. de Cesare, Jung Wook Cho, Toshinari Takayanagi
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Patent number: 8379787Abstract: Spread spectrum clock generators. A phase lock loop generates an output clock according to a first input clock and a second input clock, a delay line is coupled between the first input clock and the phase lock loop. A modulation unit provides a modulation signal to control the delay line thereby modulating phase of the first input clock, such that frequency of the output clock generated by the phase lock loop varies periodically.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2007Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Mediatek Inc.Inventors: Shang-Ping Chen, Ping-Ying Wang
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Patent number: 8373460Abstract: A dual loop PLL for generating an oscillator signal initially operates in a digital loop to achieve a frequency lock between an input reference signal and a feedback signal and then the PLL operates in an analog loop to achieve a phase lock. After attaining the phase lock, the analog loop is used to maintain the phase lock across frequency and phase variation due to changes in temperature and supply.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2011Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Anand K. Sinha, Sanjay K. Wadhwa
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Patent number: 8358158Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a clock that can be switched in phase within a reduced interval of dead time are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.Inventors: Brian W. Amick, Ryan J. Hensley, Warren R. Anderson, Joseph E. Kidd
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Publication number: 20130007929Abstract: A frequency measuring and control apparatus includes a plurality of synchronized oscillators integrated in parallel into one programmable logic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2011Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: RHK TECHNOLOGY, INCInventor: Steffen Porthun
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Patent number: 8344772Abstract: An all digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) includes: a phase counter accumulating a frequency setting word value and the phase of a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) clock and detecting a fine phase difference between a reference clock and a retimed clock; a phase detector detecting a digital phase error value compensating for a phase difference between the frequency setting word value and the DCO clock according to the fine phase difference to detect a digital phase error value; a digital loop filter filtering the digital phase error value and controlling PLL operational characteristics; a lock detector generating a lock indication signal according an output of the digital loop filter; a digitally controlled oscillator varying the frequency of the DCO clock according to the output from the digital loop filter; and a retimed clock generator generating the retimed clock by retiming the DCO clock at a low frequency.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2010Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research InstituteInventors: Ja Yol Lee, Seon Ho Han, Mi Jeong Park, Jang Hong Choi, Seong Do Kim, Hyun Kyu Yu
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Patent number: 8344774Abstract: Frequency synthesizer with immunity from oscillator pulling. The frequency synthesizer for generating an output frequency includes an oscillator that is capable of generating a first frequency. The frequency synthesizer also includes an output divider coupled to the oscillator. The output divider is configurable to allow the oscillator to generate a second frequency to prevent degradation in phase noise due to an interference to the first frequency of the oscillator, and to generate the output frequency from the second frequency.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2010Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Sriram Murali, Karthik Subburaj, Neeraj Nayak
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Patent number: 8330511Abstract: A charge pump includes an UP current mirror and a DN current mirror. The UP current mirror is controlled by an input UP signal and supplies charge onto an output node. The DN current mirror is controlled by an input DN signal and draws charge from the output node. The input UP and DN signals may be received from a phase detector in a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). To prevent disturbances on bias nodes of the UP and DN current mirrors that otherwise might occur, replica circuits of portions of the UP and DN current mirrors are provided. Each replica circuit is coupled to a bias node of a corresponding current mirror, but is controlled by an input signal of opposite polarity to the input signal that controls the current mirror so that the replica circuit creates disturbances that tend to counteract disturbances created by switching of the current mirror.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2010Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Ashwin Raghunathan, Sameer Wadhwa, Marzio Pedrali-Noy
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Patent number: 8314724Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a de-serializer to receive serial data at a first rate and to output a parallel data frame corresponding to the serial data aligned to a frame alignment boundary in response to a phase control signal received from a feedback loop coupled between the de-serializer and a receiver logic coupled to an output of the de-serializer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Ehud Shoor, Dror Lazar, Assaf Benhamou
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Patent number: 8289058Abstract: Controlling a PLL includes providing a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and coupling an output of the VCO to a shifter circuit. The shifter circuit has a shifter circuit output, the shifter circuit also including an activation input for receiving an activation signal, the shifter circuit causing at least one pulse of the output signal to be suppressed at the shifter output upon receipt of the activation signal. Controlling also includes coupling the shifter circuit output to a first frequency divider.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2012Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: James Eckhardt, Shiu Chung Ho, Paul D. Muench, Scot H. Rider
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Patent number: 8278980Abstract: An apparatus for clock/voltage scaling includes a device power manager arranged to supply a scalable frequency clock to an interface; a delay-locked loop, supplied by a constant fixed frequency clock and a constant voltage, arranged to generate a unique code depending on process, voltage, and/or temperature; and controlled delay line elements coupled to the delay-locked loop, arranged to generate an appropriate delayed data strobe based on the unique code. A method for a digital phase lock loop high speed bypass mode includes providing a first digital phase lock loop in a first high speed clock domain; providing a second digital phase lock loop in a second clock domain; controlling an output of a first glitchless multiplexer according to preselected settings using a device power manager synchronized locally; and controlling an output of a second glitchless multiplexer using a control logic element of the second digital phase lock loop.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Gilles Dubost, Franck Dahan, Hugh Thomas Mair, Sylvain Dubois
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Patent number: 8258831Abstract: A clock generator is disclosed that includes a lock detector. The lock detector is configured to generate a lock signal based on control signals of a phase lock loop circuit that generates an output clock of a desired frequency that is phase locked to a reference clock. The lock detector generates a mismatch signal based on a comparison between the phases of the reference clock and the output clock to generate a compare result. The lock detector delays the compare result by a time period Td and AND the delayed compare result with the compare result to generate the mismatch signal. The lock detector includes a lock-counter that counts a number of reference clock cycles when the mismatch signal remains at 0. The lock signal indicates that a lock-state is achieved when the number of counted reference clock cycles equals a set-value.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2010Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Marvell Israel (M.I.S.L) Ltd.Inventors: Yiftach Banai, Reuven Ecker
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Patent number: 8237511Abstract: According to one embodiment, a local oscillator includes: an adder that adds an oscillator integer phase and an oscillator fraction phase and outputs the addition value as first phase information; a delayer that outputs an addition output of a frequency command word at one clock before and second phase information as estimated oscillator phase data; a correcting unit that outputs an addition of compensation information to the first phase information as the second phase information when |the first phase information?the estimated oscillator phase data|>|the first phase information+the compensation information?the estimated oscillator phase data| is satisfied and otherwise outputs the first phase information as the second phase information.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2010Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
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Patent number: 8222940Abstract: An electrothermal frequency-locked loop (EFLL) circuit is described. This EFLL circuit includes an oscillator in a feedback loop. A drive circuit in the EFLL circuit generates a first signal having a fundamental frequency, and an electrothermal filter (ETF) in the EFLL circuit provides a second signal based on the first signal. This second signal has the fundamental frequency and a phase (relative to the first signal) that corresponds to a temperature-dependent time constant of the ETF. Moreover, a sensing component in the EFLL circuit determines a parameter associated with a temperature of the ETF. For example, the parameter may be the temperature or may be other than the temperature, such as the fundamental frequency and/or the phase of the second signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2011Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Stichting voor de Technische WetenschappenInventors: Sayyed Mahdi Kashmiri, Kofi A. A. Makinwa
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Patent number: 8217696Abstract: In some embodiments, a digital PLL is disclosed with a dynamically controllable filter for changing the effective DPLL bandwidth in response to one or more real-time performance parameters such as phase error.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2009Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Nathaniel J. August, Hyung-Jin Lee
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Patent number: 8213561Abstract: A delay locked loop operates over a wide range of frequencies and has high accuracy, small silicon area usage, low power consumption and a short lock time. The DLL combines an analog domain and a digital domain. The digital domain is responsible for initial lock and operational point stability and is frozen after the lock is reached. The analog domain is responsible for normal operation after lock is reached and provides high accuracy using smaller silicon area and low power.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2011Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Mosaid Technologies IncorporatedInventors: Peter Vlasenko, Dieter Haerle
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Patent number: 8207770Abstract: An apparatus may comprise a time-to-digital circuit architecture. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2010Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Ashoke Ravi, Pin-En Su, Paolo Madoglio, Georgios Palaskas
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Patent number: 8208594Abstract: A method for the recovery of a clock signal from a data signal is provided where the edges of the signals are each represented as a chronologically-ordered sequence of timing points. In one procedural stage, a plurality of timing points of the data signal are processed in parallel as follows: resolving the timing points of the data signal by a nominal clock pulse; estimating the bit-period deviations for the adjusted timing points; and injecting the nominal clock pulse to the estimated bit-period deviations.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Rubén Villarino-Villa, Markus Freidhof, Thomas Kuhwald
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Patent number: 8193866Abstract: For decreasing errors within an analog phase-locked loop, an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) with only digital components and digital operations is used. The ADPLL may also be used for direct frequency modulation (DFM). By modulating certain parameters within the ADPLL by following an all-pass frequency response, a loop gain of the ADPLL may be precisely modulated, and an available bandwidth of the ADPLL is also significantly broadened.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2008Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Mediatek Inc.Inventor: Hsiang-Hui Chang
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Patent number: 8193845Abstract: A phase lock loop includes a quantization circuit that generators an out of phase noise cancellation signal from an error in a delta-sigma modulator and applies the noise cancellation signal to the charge pump. The quantization circuit includes a digital-to-analog differentiator. The digital-to-analog differentiator may be, for example, a single-bit first-order digital-to-analog differentiator, a single-bit second-order digital-to-analog differentiator, or a full M-bit binary-weighted digital to analog differentiator.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2010Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Microchip Technology IncorporatedInventors: Heng-Yu Jian, Zhiwei Xu, Yi-Cheng Wu, Mau-Chung Frank Chang