Digitally controlled oscillator with temperature compensation

• US 10,454,482 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Pavao Moreira, Cristian, Salle, Didier, Doare, Olivier Vincent, Goumballa, Birama
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US15/812,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20180183442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/005 including measures to switch a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/04 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. power supply, load, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1265 switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/02 against variations of temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/023 by using voltage variable capacitance diodes

Abstract

A device comprising: a voltage reference supply, configured to provide a reference voltage that varies in response to temperature according to a predefined relationship; a temperature sensor providing a temperature signal indicating a temperature; a first controller configured to receive the temperature signal and to output a control signal; an LC-DCO receiving the reference voltage and providing an output signal with a frequency from an LC circuit, the LC-DCO comprising a switched capacitor bank configured to provide temperature compensation by varying an effective capacitance in the LC circuit in response to the control signal.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a voltage reference supply, configured to provide a reference voltage that varies in response to temperature according to a predefined relationship;

a temperature sensor providing a temperature signal indicating a temperature;

a first controller configured to receive the temperature signal and to output a control signal, the first controller comprising;

a break point tracking module configured to compare the temperature signal with a bandgap reference voltage and to output a break point signal, wherein the bandgap reference voltage indicates a temperature break point, and

a logic control circuit configured to output the control signal based on the temperature and the break point signal, wherein

the control signal increases in value as the temperature increases until the break point is reached,

the control signal decreases in value as the temperature increases after the break point is reached;

an LC-DCO (digitally controlled oscillator) receiving the reference voltage and providing an output signal with a frequency from an inductor-capacitor (LCI circuit, the LC-DCO comprising a switched capacitor bank configured to provide temperature compensation by varying an effective capacitance in the LC circuit in response to the control signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage reference supply comprises a programmable slope voltage generator.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the predefined relationship comprises a substantially linear relationship, so that the reference voltage varies substantially linearly in response to changes in temperature.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the switched capacitor bank and first controller are configured to correct a non-linear frequency error in response to temperature and the predefined relationship is selected to correct a linear frequency error in response to temperature.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the non-linear frequency error is substantially quadratic.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the switched capacitor bank has a capacitive divider topology.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the switched capacitor bank comprises a plurality of switched varactors.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the LC-DCO comprises a low dropout regulator LDO, the LDO configured to receive the reference voltage and to provide a supply voltage for the LC-DCO.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to provide an analog temperature signal, and the first controller comprises an analog to digital converter.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first controller is configured to output a digital control signal, and the switched capacitor bank is configured to vary the effective capacitance in response to the digital control signal.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second controller, configured to provide a second control signal to the voltage reference supply that defines the predefined relationship.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises:

a first current generator configured to generate a current proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT current);

a second current generator configured to generate an inverse current proportional to absolute temperature (IPTAT current), the PTAT current and the IPTAT current being combined to form a reference current having a temperature sensitivity;

a plurality of current mirrors to adjust the sensitivity and gain of the reference current; and

a variable resistor to set the temperature signal based on the generated current.

13. A method of correcting a frequency variation in an output signal of a DCO (digitally controlled oscillator) in response to a temperature variation, comprising:

receiving, by the DCO, a reference voltage that varies in response to temperature according to a predefined relationship;

receiving, by the DCO, a control signal based on a temperature signal indicating a temperature and a break point signal indicating a temperature break point, wherein

the control signal increases in value as the temperature increases until the break point is reached, and

the control signal decreases in value as the temperature increases after the break point is reached; and

providing, by the DCO, an output signal with a frequency from an inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit of the DCO, wherein the providing comprises;

in response to the control signal, varying an effective capacitance in the LC circuit of the DCO using a switched capacitor bank to provide temperature compensation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

setting the predefined relationship so as to minimise, when the temperature compensation using the switched capacitor bank is disabled, the difference between the frequency of the output signal at a low temperature and the frequency of the output signal at a high temperature;

enabling temperature compensation using the switched capacitor bank.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the predefined relationship comprises:

determining the frequency of the output signal at a low temperature for each of a plurality of different predefined relationships;

determining the frequency of the output signal at a high temperature for each of the plurality of different predefined relationships;

selecting the predefined relationship that results in the smallest difference in the frequency of the output signal between the high and low temperatures.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

at a mid-point temperature, setting the switched capacitor bank to mid-code, and adjusting the output signal frequency to match a desired frequency.